Sixteen-year-old Matt plays multiplayer games online, often with people he doesn’t know. Sometimes Matt chats with people in a game, and they exchange personal information or links to social media profiles. Some of the people Matt has met online are adults. Matt thinks it’s cool that someone older would be interested in talking to him. But are the people Matt has met online trustworthy? 

Matt’s actions may seem harmless, but trusting someone you met online can be dangerous. Sometimes adults contact teenagers through social media or online games to try to become their friends. Some of these adults may even pose as teenagers on their profiles. Sometimes they say sexual things or ask for private photos. They may even ask for personal information, such as a phone number or an address. They are looking for someone to harm or exploit, and they think teens who are lonely or insecure are prime targets. These adults are called online predators.

It is sometimes difficult for a teenager to know how to deal with strangers online. Many teenagers try to have as many friends or followers on social media as possible. They often have public profiles or accept any “friend request.”

Some people think social media and online gaming companies should be responsible for protecting teens from online predators. They say that these companies need to do more to ensure that people are not posing as someone else. For example, they believe that companies should find a method to check users’ real identities and ages. Others believe that the minimum user age should be raised on sites that allow strangers to chat or connect. They say older users are better prepared to protect themselves. 

However, some people believe that social media and gaming companies cannot do more than they are already doing. These people say that methods to check a user’s real identity are an invasion of privacy. They think that, if one social media app becomes more strict or raises the minimum user age, teens can just turn to another unmonitored site. This may be even more dangerous. 

Many people may argue that parents or even teens themselves are the ones responsible for protecting teens online. They may believe that parents should monitor what their kids do online and who they talk to. They might point out that parents could put filters on their children’s devices and limit their use until they’re old enough to be responsible. They might say that parents can teach their children rules for safe behavior online. They may think that only parents have the access to really protect their children. Or they may believe that teens have so much unmonitored access to the internet now that they must be responsible for keeping themselves safe.

What do you think? Who should protect teens from online predators?