When Kids See Too Much: Protecting Children from Unfiltered Online Content
- privcombermuda
- Sep 9
- 4 min read
The following is the first in a series of articles focusing on protecting our children in online spaces.
“The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.” – Terry Pratchet
Let’s face it – kids can’t be trusted. Give them the keys to your car - they crash it. Give them your credit card – you’re the proud owner of a lifetime supply of laxatives. Sure, they mean well, but as parents, we know to exercise discretion when granting them access to things that they don’t understand and could possibly bring them harm.
Unless, of course, it’s the internet.
You see, kids don’t have to look for trouble online – sometimes trouble looks for them – by design. A ‘next video’ here, an unsolicited message there, the occasional disguised url, and suddenly, they are exposed to content that should never be before their eyes. Examples being:
· Online Predators: Groomers hide behind fake profiles on apps and games, reeling kids in until shame and threats become their weapons of choice.
· Body Image Pressure: Filtered photos, perfect’ influencers, and the glorification of quick fixes push kids into chasing a look that doesn’t exist.
· Cyberbullying: From shady sub-tweets to cruel edits and exclusion posts, online bullying doesn’t clock-out; it just keeps swinging.
· Misinformation: Conspiracies, half-truths, and ‘fake facts’ travel faster than Wi-Fi, and kids searching for answers are the easiest targets.
· Self-Harm Content: Suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders are normalized in forums and posts that are easily accessed.
The thing about unfiltered content, is that it can be embedded, disguised, and presented in nearly any digital format, and it runs the gamut from violent clips and explicit images, to hate speech and conspiracy theories. If entire election cycles can be swayed by digital manipulation, imagine how much easier is it for our kids to get pulled in? They can encounter it through search engines, YouTube recommendations, gaming chats, or social media feeds. That innocent curiosity can quickly result in something completely overwhelming; I mean, who doesn’t want their 12-year-old quoting Andrew Tate?
Why does this matter? Because exposure at a young age can have far reaching and lasting effects. Once upon a time, you only felt ugly if someone said it to your face. Now, kids get daily reminders in their feeds, pointing out flaws they never knew they had. This normalizes harmful behavior, anxiety, fear, and undermines the trust that children place in the adults who guide them. If the internet says they must look a certain way for acceptance, how do you, as a parent, fight the algorithm? The end usually results in kids potentially becoming their own bullies.
Here in Bermuda, this issue carries a unique weight, as the fallout that results from these risks can have a profound and lasting effect in a small community. That principle extends naturally to what they consume online. And in a close-knit community like ours, one child’s exposure can ripple through an entire WhatsApp group in hours, and unfortunately, if you happen to have ineffective communication with your children, the results from what they experience online can be anywhere from debilitating…
…to fatal. (1)
So, what can parents, guardians, and educators do?
1. Talk early and talk often: Make conversations about online experiences normal. If your child sees something upsetting or questionable, you want them to have the confidence to confide in you – not hide it out of fear.
2. Learn the child-protection / parental settings for all the games and apps that your child uses: Set filters but stay realistic. Use safe search and content restrictions; just remember, they’re tools, not guarantees.
3. Watch and play with them: the best way to learn the risks of an app or game is to understand it’s purpose. This will go a long way to protecting your child from predatory behavior on an app like Roblox. (2)
4. Learn, then teach digital literacy: By understanding the risks posed by the internet as adults, we are better suited to equip our children to identify false information and red flags – whether it’s violent, explicit or simply misleading. (3)
5. Be community centered: Schools, family, and even our local governments (4); everyone has a role to play in protecting our children from exposure to harmful content. Be alert to changes in behavior and thought processes that are not beneficial to a child.
Like your in-law’s house, the internet isn’t a bad place, but it does pose risks that can adversely affect us if we’re not paying attention (I recall a specific green bean casserole one thanksgiving). The key is to be vigilant in what we allow and to conduct our own online habits in a manner that our children can model.
There’s no quick fix here, but we can give our kids something better to swallow than whatever the internet is serving up.
Trust me, it better than that casserole.
Nakia Pearson is the Visual Content & Training Officer for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Bermuda. He is known to do many things well - dancing isn't one of them.
Additional Reading and Sources