Is Reddit Safe for Kids? | 5 Reasons Why Reddit is Safe

Reddit is one of the most viewed social news communities that allows members to organize and promote content through social voting. Reddit comprises hundreds of groups, also termed subreddits, to find content on any topic ranging from child content to adult & violent content (the NSFW content). So, is reddit safe for kids?

For this reason, people often argue Reddit might not be safe for all age groups. But, if an adult knows what s/he should be watching on Reddit, using Reddit is safe. However, kids might not know much about Reddit. So, they will need their parent's help. Parents should always keep an eye on their child's online activities.

A Reddit user can post text, images, videos, memes, polls, or links. They can view what others post. The posts appear on different pages based on the traffic, interactions, and popularity. The most popular posts make it to the front pages while the others follow.

Also, since Reddit is getting popular, the online predators target data breach attacks, online harassment, and other cybercrimes. Thus, it would be best if you make your account safe. Use high-security passwords using password managers and two-factor authentication for logging in. Read further to learn if Reddit is safe for kids or not.

Reddit Safe for Kids: 5 Reasons

Many people ask, Is Reddit safe for kids like other popular media platforms today? Let's have a look at whether it is, or it isn't:

1. Reddit Safe for Kids: Age Limits

When your kid is on the internet, all you worry about as parents is their online safety. You hope that they are not bullied or harassed online. Also, your kids should not open inappropriate links and see the adult content and violent content.

Reddit has set age limits on different links and sites. So, even if your kid accidentally clicks an unsuitable link, Reddit will ask if your kid is old enough to view the content. Furthermore, if you want to monitor your kid's online activities, Reddit allows you to use parental control apps to watch your kid's screen if you want.

There is another way to keep an eye on your kid's activity on Reddit. You can create a Reddit account and not use your real name, and you can see your kid's activities (posts, comments) on Reddit using the anonymous account.

2. Safeguarding Protocols Strictly Enforced

Reddit users can create accounts without uploading their pictures, using any name and identity. Nothing like Reddit will block your account if you make a profile using a fake identity.

Creating an account using a random name benefits the safety prospect. When someone can not identify you on Reddit, they cannot harm you. A predator who wants to hurt you personally will not find you there and thus cannot do any harm.

Reddit keeps a note of everything you do. Thus, you must write messages and comments to others in a cautious manner. If you misbehave, or if someone is writing bad things to you, Reddit saves all the activities. The authorities can recover all the deleted texts, messages, posts, and comments if someone files a case.

3. Keeps an Eye Out for Safety Breaches

When anything suspicious happens in a Reddit account, the security team takes action. If the security team suspects that you are sending some threatful messages to others or bullying others, the team will warn you not to do so.

Reddit has a motto to keep all the Reddit users safe and away from all the possible internet threats. The team will take action whenever an issue occurs. They can warn the Reddit user if they are sending wrong messages or posting unethical things, remove the harmful posts and comments, and even block your Reddit account.

Also, Reddit continually looks out whether data breaches are happening. If they find anything like that, the safety team will soon take action against the data breach.

Also, the registered users can monitor whether your Reddit account is safe or not with the following easy and simple steps:

Step 1: Sign in to your Reddit account.

Step 2: Open the account settings.

Step 3: You will see the IP addresses of the devices logged into your Reddit account.

If you see a new login that is not you, you should open the password managers and change your password. Using a two-factor authentication mode will also prevent hackers from hacking your account. You should use the email address to check them asap if you receive any emails from the Reddit safety team.

4. The Two-Factor Authentication

The Reddit app offers two-factor authentication to the users; this makes Reddit safer. Two-factor authentication means you have to provide your phone number and email address, and Reddit users will get an authentication code on their phone or email. By using the code, they have to sign into their Reddit account.

Despite using two-factor authentication, your Reddit account might still not be safe. So, you must always look for any odds happening in your Reddit account. If you find anything suspicious, you should report the problem to the Reddit security team.

5. Hacked Accounts Are Handled Strictly

To ensure the user's online safety, Reddit strictly handles hacked accounts. Suppose someone hacks your Reddit account, or you are doing something against Reddit's terms and conditions, the security team of Reddit will close your account.

After closing the account, they will ask the account holder to change the password immediately and use a strong one via password managers. This safety protocol makes Reddit safe, so if you feel doubtful whether Reddit is safe or not, do not worry more. Reddit is safe, but you have to take into account various factors.

How Can I Secure My Privacy on Reddit?

Securing privacy in a Reddit account is essential. The following steps will help you secure your Reddit data.

• Do not use your real name on Reddit.
• Keep your email address private. Burner emails are a great alternative if you need them. You can receive all emails in your email address when you use Burner Emails (software that creates a random email address when you submit an online form.)
• Utilize password managers to create solid passwords.
• Make sure you use two-factor authentication. Keep your account safe.
• Never participate in a survey.
• Keep your information safe. Don't give away information about your workplace and place of residence so that hackers cannot use it against you.
• If you see advertisements for other subreddits or services, don't click them. You don't know what will happen to your data once you reach that place.

Things You Should Know About Reddit

Content in Reddit is unlimited, and you can find content or subreddits on any topics you like to know, whether it's a good one or bad. Thus, below are the things you should know about Reddit.

i. Adult Filters to Block NSFW Content

Reddit offers adult filters that block the contents of the NSFW( not suitable for work). The filter prevents kids from seeing things they aren't supposed to see. The filters filter the contents and filter the NSFW subreddits.

However, Reddit users may still get offensive messages on their Reddit account. So, the users can still get inappropriate text and video messages, and the filter can not stop them from watching such statements.

ii. Don't Go with Content Titles

On Reddit, you will find hundreds of memes, news, and other content. There are contents with a title and different content inside, and this kind of title can appear even on the front page. The Reddit users have to be aware of this and not open any content.

Kids and teens should not open any content. Even if they open and find some content offensive, they should immediately close and not look at lousy content.

iii. Child and Sexual Predators

Despite the security measures on Reddit, no online platform is safe from online threats. Cyberbullying is prevalent in almost all online platforms. Abusing kids, bullying them online, sexually harassing teens and adults, and others are some forms of cyberbullying that can happen on Reddit too.

There are no built-in tools for parents to keep their kids away from cybercrimes. So, how can parents maintain internet safety facts for kids on Reddit? Well, they can talk to their kids about inappropriate content that they should not watch on Reddit.

Parents should know what to do if their kid is bullied online and teach what teens should do if they are bullied online. Kids should never forget that they should not give personal information to people they meet on Reddit.

iv. Notable Controversies on Reddit

Reddit has littered many controversies over time. Many NSFW subreddits have much toxic content like pornography.

Have you ever heard of Doxxing? Well, Doxxing means disclosing someone's identity online without their consent. Doxxing is a cybercrime that has occurred on Reddit a few times.

In 2013, some Redditors accused a university student named Sunil Tripathi of being a Boston Marathon Bombing suspect. Redditors suspected a few more people and wrote about them without their conscience.

Also, in 2014, Reddit shared nude pictures of some world-famous celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton, and McKayla Maroney.

Reddit: A Mixed Experience

Okay, how does this sound to you- Reddit is safe, but it's not?

To those who desire to learn and connect to communities with information that can help in their projects, research, studies, and others, Reddit is a boon. Along with this, watching gossip about what's happening in the real world is also fun.

But, Reddit is an ocean of content: informative, censored, violent, pornography, and many others. So, unless your kid sees what s/he should not be seeing, Reddit is okay for them. But, if you think that it is not time for your kid to know things like adult content, you should consider before letting them create their Reddit account.

If your kids already know about internet safety, you can allow them to watch memes in video games and join informative subreddits (don't allow NSFW subreddits).

v. Reddit for Distance Learning

There are several groups, also called subreddits, where you can find many informative things. Do you want to know about Writers or which Nobel is their best one? You can find the information on Reddit. If you have a tech-related query, you can join the tech group on Reddit.

Are the groups on Reddit safe? Not all groups, but having a Reddit account is fine if you know what you want to see. Don't do stupid things on Reddit; you can invest your time learning and discovering new stuff via Reddit.

vi. Subreddits on Reddit

You can find groups and chat rooms on Reddit. Let's discuss what kind of subreddits you might see on Reddit. Here are two types.

The Goods,

• A group of historians
• A sub for science topics
• Substitutes for Academic issues including every subject
• Lively discussion groups (regional or national)
• Positive and uplifting subreddit
• A photography subreddit devoted to amazing pictures and videos gossip
• Subsidies for seeking advice and support
• Legal advisor's groups

Also, The Bads,

• A group that shows death videos
• White nationalism-related subreddits
• Discussions of drugs with frankness and admiration
• Pornography. Quite a bit.

Conclusion

Having a Reddit account is fine unless you give your personal information (real name, place of residence, schools, workplaces, and others). Make sure you are not becoming too familiar with a random person on Reddit chats. Do not expose your background to anyone on Reddit.

Reddit's registered users should know internet ethics and should have knowledge on internet safety. Using password managers and having two-factor authentication keeps you on the safer side always. Also, you should not get involved in unethical activities like passing offensive comments, harassing others in chats, cyberbullying, and others.

Thus, Reddit users know what they want to do without causing any risk or harm to them or anyone. Reddit is safe but, being a parent, if you still worry about your children's online activities, you can monitor them using fenced.ai to keep them safe online. I hope the article “is Reddit safe for kids” is helpful.