Just like any ordinary day, I was diving into the topic of kids’ online safety, and guess what I stumbled upon?
The controversy surrounding the 4chan website, and when I went through it, I found it something worth discussing.
Regarding 4chan, there’s a lot of concern about its potential dangers for kids.
The website has gained a reputation for being unregulated and anonymous, meaning that anyone can post pretty much anything without any accountability.
Unfortunately, this can lead to the presence of some seriously inappropriate and even harmful content that is not suitable for younger users.
In this blog, we’ll discuss what exactly 4chan is about, how harmful its impact can be, and how parents can help their children stay protected from its potential risks.
What is 4Chan?
As much as I read about this subject, I came to know that 4chan is a massive online hangout spot where people from all over can post and chat about anything they want.
It’s like a digital bulletin board where you can share pictures, have conversations, and even join different groups.
And, the shocking part is that users don’t have to reveal their identities when they post anything.
Overall, here, you have the freedom to express yourself without holding back.
Why 4Chan is not Considered Safe for Children?
4Chan is an adult site but still, many young teens visit here, and these innocent minds stumble into the troubles included in this website.
However, it has not ended here. There are many reasons out there that prove this site unsafe for kids. Some of them are the following:
Harmful Content: This website's users are free to post anything that comes to their mind.
It may include risky content that can include violence, self-harm, eating disorders, or discrimination toward some groups of people.
These kinds of concepts can mislead kids and be extremely harmful to their immature minds.
Online Harassment: The site is not bound by any rules or regulations, so the kids can engage in offensive and harmful behavior, leading to instances of cyberbullying and targeted harassment.
I am making them experience a range of negative emotions, such as sadness, anger, fear, and embarrassment.
No Age Verification: Okay, moving on to another dangerous fact attached to this site is that it doesn’t ask for age verification.
There’s only a pop-up disclaimer that states - the user must be mature, and some rules and regulations to read out. And you can easily make free entries to the website.
No Parental Controls: The site is not designed for users below 18, so there are no built-in security features for younger teens.
The only way parents can protect their kids from this site is by keeping them away from its use until they turn 18.
Connection to Extremist Groups: The site may include individuals, organizations, and groups that are driven by ideologies of hatred, violence, or intolerance and intend to brainwash young users.
With these above pointers, you may get to know why 4Chan is not considered safe for kids.
Now, let’s jump to the other section to learn how you can prevent kids from getting access to sites like 4Chan.
How to Forbid Kids’ Access to Sites like 4 Chan?
Young teens are often curious about everything they hear. In that case, if somehow they have heard of the website 4Chan, they will surely type in this name on their search engine.
However, if you don’t want this let happen, then walk through the below pointers to know what you can do to prevent children from getting access to this site:
Open Conversations: Sit beside them, ask them about their day, get into conversations, and indirectly ask them about the sites and apps they use and what their online experiences were.
In this way, you can avoid the awkwardness between you guys and can go deeper in conversation.
Make them Aware of Online Harm: While in a conversation only, teach them about the harmful impact of the dark web or discuss the cases related to cyber harm.
Make them Believe in You: It’s vital to make kids believe in you that you are always there for them, and they can come to you whenever they are in trouble.
Parental Controls: Another effective strategy is to set up parental controls on the devices they use, or the sites or apps they use.
In this way, you can put a layer of protection over them that will protect them from the negative impacts of adult websites like 4Chan.
Educate them on Online /strong>You can’t every time let your kids depend on you to protect them from online troubles.
That’s why it’s vital to teach them how to use a personal account, what to post, how to avoid random users by either blocking or reporting them, and so on.
These pointers are great measures you can take if you want to protect your kids from the harm of 4Chan.
Wrapping Up
Young teens need to steer clear of platforms like 4Chan and its other versions, like 12 Chan, and opt for kid-friendly alternatives.
This way, you can create a more controlled and secure environment for your kids to learn, have fun, and connect with others of their age, and find a balance between exploration and protection.
Source: Radarro.com