Risks of Social Media for Adolescents

Abstract

This article is a summary of the author’s doctoral thesis written on online risks to which adolescent social media users are exposed. These risks can be defined as forms of online harassment, such as cyberbullying, sexting, grooming and, in extreme cases, even child pornography. Effects of socio-economic, socio-cultural and online behavioral factors on exposure are explored. The data collection was conducted by combining quantitative and qualitative methods, involving 303 tenth-grade students, as well as a few parents and teachers from Cluj-Napoca. In terms of results, time spent online, amount of disclosed personal data, rate of accepting random friend requests, number of user accounts and also loose parental control proved to be influencing factors. Finally, the study identifies some possible preventive measures that could reduce adolescents’ exposure to online risks.