We all know about the benefits of social media -- keeping in touch with friends and family as well as loves ones living overseas being just a few. Though recently there has been more of a focus on the downsides of the likes of Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook, including depression, anxiety and poor self esteem.
On top of those perils, there's the risk of encountering unsavoury people who have less than good intentions, particularly for young people. With the legal minimum age to open an account on most social media sites being just 13, that's a very young age to allow a new teen to essentially communicate with anyone out there.
But with 92 percent of teens aged between 13 and 17 going online daily, telling your child that at they can't be on social media full stop probably isn't the most realistic solution. They'll miss out on important bonding with their peers and potentially do it behind your back.
When your child enters the world of social media it's advised you set your own house rules about useage and to have a chat with your kids about to dangers of strangers online. In addition to safety around people they don't know, fill them in about fake competitions, giveaways and any other common online scams.
For more stats and useful information about teens and social media, check out the below infographic.
Infogaphic from fix.com