While some people begin their social media profiles in their mid to late teens, it seems as though kids today are being exposed to it at an earlier age now that many of them have tablets and even cellphones, but this increased presence and free usage of the internet could be a problem in terms of lack of censorship. I didn’t have a MySpace, I got a Facebook in my sophomore year of high school and really got into YouTube when I was 17. I was, and therefore am, un-phased by content that may contain cursing, inappropriate conversations, or violence. However, many other young adults my age got into such sites and social media when they were much younger because there's easy access to it.

There are some guidelines in place in regards to content and YouTube has certain guidelines. There is a page by YouTube called “Community Guidelines: A few ground rules to keep YouTube safe and fun for everyone” that has several “common-sense rules." For many of these rules, consequences for their violation are listed. Viewers are also able to flag videos they feel are inappropriate for review by YouTube, as stated on the YouTube Help page “Flagging content." In addition, there are age restrictions on having a Google account; in the United States the age is 13 and older. The same page that states this, “Age requirements on Google Accounts” also states, “When a YouTube video has been age-restricted, a warning screen is displayed and only users who are 18 or older can watch it.”

Despite guidelines such as these, on YouTube or on other sites and social media, youths and young teens are viewing content they shouldn’t be. Often times such guidelines are not well enforced, people do not flag inappropriate or violent content, and the age restrictions are not well maintained (especially since you can watch YouTube videos without a Google YouTube account and can lie about your age in creating an account).

Social media users, such as those on Vine and YouTube don't usually bother to censor their videos very much or at all. Many videos contain the open and often aggressive or crude use of profanities. Many videos discuss or joke about adult topics, sometimes in a good-mannered way but other times, again, in a more vulgar manner. On Vine and Youtube, creators have certain styles on their channels, and they should be allowed to do as they please. However, I believe that creators should be censoring and putting warnings on their videos more seriously, or that certain “channels” should be created. YouTube channels could be arranged that would be much like HBO, with a more free range to run videos with profanities and adult content.

In addition, many parents do not monitor their children’s technology and internet usage. Children can search for things incredibly easily and stumble upon anything. When they hear about something that may not be appropriate for them from their peers, they can easily find things about it online.

The internet and social media can be incredibly helpful for children, however, without proper monitoring, they can be a serious issue.