Teen Nudity on Social Media: Parents, Talk to Your Children

Marketing moguls know that sex sells. Any teen who has access to the internet knows that nude celebrity images go viral and take center stage. Nude, or almost nude, Instagram posts of Demi Lovato, Nicki Minaj, the Kardashians, and even males such as Justin Bieber and John Legend create an idea that nudity on social media is ok.

When a teenager, who is highly influenced by peers and society more so than her parents, sees these images, it’s almost a justification for her posting or liking nude photos. Follow up these images with messages and hashtags that read, “WHAT’S WRONG WITH BEING CONFIDENT? #vanityfair #CONFIDENT” (Vanity Fair, Demi Lovato photo shoot) and your teen is now convinced that nude images equate to confidence.

Help for Parents to Combat the Increase of Teen Nudity on Social Media

Parents know that talking to their teen can be difficult on its own, but having a tough discussion on the do’s and don’ts of using social media can be almost impossible. Add the inappropriateness of nudity on social media to the conversation and you’re sure to get a teen whose eye-rolling and body language suggests they are doing anything but listening to you.

The fact is, teens need to hear how dangerous it is to post or like naked pictures on social media. In a Huffington Post article titled, Is Your Child’s App X-Rated? 3 Social Media Sites with Surprising Access to Nudity, author and Detective Sergeant, Thomas Rich, explains that posting or clicking on nude photos is anything but harmless. “Every click, every watched link, every photo liked has a fingerprint and it is theirs. They are creating a digital path of breadcrumbs that will always lead back to them.”

Rich tells parents to have an informative, even scary conversation with your teen about the dangers of nudity on social media. One harmless click on a link with a nude minor could mean jail time. So even if your teen doesn’t post but is looking at nude photos, he or she could be in jeopardy.

Remind Your Teen Social Media is Permanent

As we discussed in our last blog, Social Media and Teenagers-Legal Ramifications of Social Media Posts, an image can be copied and saved by any one. These images can reappear and haunt your teen when she is looking for a job, applying for college, or applying for any position of leadership.

Teens think it’s funny and harmless to post images, which can lead to bullying and even suicide among teens who feel shamed and embarrassed after being teased for posting. This harassment among teens is an epidemic that our society is struggling to get a handle on still.