Social Media Information
Keeping your child safe on Instagram
What is Instagram?
Instagram is a social media app which is based around sharing photos. Your profile is a gallery of all the photos that you have shared and you are able to write comments underneath these. Others are able to like and comment on photos that you post. In addition to this, you are also able to upload ‘stories’ which are temporary and these are posted online.
Account Privacy
When an account is public, anyone can see your posts and follow your accounts, but you can easily make your account private by going to ‘options , toggle ‘private account’ on’.
If you make your account private then only those you approve can follow you and see your posts. We recommend that your child’s account is private in order that it can be kept as safe as possible.
How do I block someone?
You can block an account from interacting with you by:
Go to profile, tap three dots, tap ‘block user’
This can be used to block anyone who has made inappropriate comments or hurtful comments, or anyone who is making your child feel uncomfortable. Should this happen, remember that you should also consider who you should report this to as well. School can always help you with this.
How do I report content?
You can report content for posts and comments that you think are harmful or inappropriate. You do this by:
Tap three dots on the post, select ‘report inappropriate’, select the reason for the report.
Once the content has been reported, it will be flagged to the Instagram moderators and they will then decide if it needs to be taken down. Again, remember that you may also need to speak to someone at school about this.
Reporting profiles
You can report profiles that feature inappropriate or harmful content. It is usually that the entire profile contains this, rather than just a post. To do this, you:
Go to profile, tap the three dots, tap ‘report inappropriate’ and select the reason
It is recommended that when you report a profile, you select ‘I believe that this profile has violated Instagram’s community guidelines’ as the reason for reporting.
Keeping your child safe on Snapchat
What is Snapchat?
Snapchat is a social media app that is purely based on communicating with others more than sharing pictures. You can send ‘snaps’ or picures to others which can only be viewed twice by the recipient. Chats also disappear after being seen, but can be saved. It is possible to temporarily upload a picture to a ‘story’ which can be viewed by others.
Account Privacy
All accounts are automatically private and if someone ‘adds’ you on snapchat, then you can either accept or ignore the request. You can also see if the person has added you by searching for you, or added you due to you being mentioned in someone else’s story. You do not have to accept any request that is sent to you.
How do you block profiles?
You can block someone and you can also unfriend them as well. The difference is that if you block someone, they will not be able to find your profile again. If you unfriend them, then they can add you again.
To do this you:
Go to their profile, go to the three dots in the corner and press ‘block.
How do you report content?
In order to report a story you should:
View the story, press and hold until the screen minimises, click on the flag symbol in the bottom left corner and then select the reason.
In order to report a tile you should:
View the tile, press and hold until the profile appears, click on ‘report tile’ and select the reason.
The report will be sent to the moderators who will review it and then decide if it violates guidance.
How do you report a profile?
You can report a profile, for example if it contains illegal content. You do this by going to the profile, clicking on the three dots in the corner, select report and select the reason. Snapchat will then decide whether to terminate the account or notify the law enforcement. As chats cannot be reported, you will need to report the profile instead.
Keeping your child safe on TikTok
What is TikTok?
TikTok is a social media platform that allows you to both create and watch short videos. These are usually between 15 and 60 seconds long. The site is mainly known for dance and lip synching videos.
How do you make your account private?
When you turn your TikTok account to private then only people you have approved can follow you and view your content. This will also stop TikTok syncing with other apps. To make your account private you will need to go to profeil/me, select the three vertical dots, select privacy and safety and toggle ‘private account’.
How do you block profiles?
You can block profiles by stopping individuals from viewing or interacting with any part of your profile and content. If you are blocking someone for bullying or being inappropriate online, then we recommend that you also report them as well. You do this by selecting their profile, selecting the three dots and pressing ‘block’ followed by ‘confirm’
How do you report a profile?
You can report a profile by selecting a profile, pressing the three dots, then selecting ‘report’ and the reason for this. When you do this, the report will be sent to a TikTok moderator who will then review it and will terminate the profile should it be against the law or against their terms.
How do you report content?
You can report videos by opening the video, tapping ‘share’ arrow, select report and then select the reason. TikTok will then work to remove any offensive video content. To report comments, you will need to tap and hold the comment and then select ‘report’ and the reason for this.
Keeping your child safe on Twitter![]()
What is Twitter?
Twitter is a social media platform where individuals post ‘tweets’ in the form of text and also pictures. Users can like, comment or retweet, but unregistered users can only read tweets.
How do I make my account private?
You can make your account private by tapping the menu, going to the profile icon, go to settings and privacy, privacy and safety, under ‘tweets’ toggle on ‘protect tweets’ and make sure this is ‘on’.
Remember that when you sign up for twitter, your tweets are automatically public so anyone can view and interact with you. If you protect your tweets, you will receive a request when new people want to follow you which you can then approve or decline.
How do I block profiles?
Anyone who you block is unable to then follow you and you cannot follow an account that you have blocked. To do this you visit their profile, click on the three dots, go to ‘block’ and click to confirm. Blocking an account that you already follow will cause you to unfollow that account and they will also cease following you. If you decide to unblock that account, you will have to follow them again.
How do I report content?
You can report harmful content by finding the tweet, pressing on ‘report tweet’ and then selecting the reason.