Is Reddit Safe for Kids? Understanding the Front Page of the Internet

Reddit is among the most popular social platforms, with over 73.1 million daily active users and 267.5 million weekly active users. The network’s vast communities, better known as subreddits, offer users a world of information and entertainment.

Reddit has a diverse global audience where individuals of every age can interact with each other, share, discuss, and vote on content ranging from news and hobbies to niche interests and memes. The platform boosts 100k subreddits on almost anything from sports, music, and movies to politics, cute animals, and news.

Why is Reddit Called the Front Page of the Internet?

Reddit is not just a social platform but a diverse and ever-evolving community driven news bulletin where all the latest stories and discussions emerge. It was launched in 2005 and is now home to millions of users and thousands of subreddits, each representing a particular hobby, interest, or topic.

Whether it’s about a cute cat or dog video, politics, or any happening event, people flock to Reddit to start a subreddit and post comments. The diversity and ease of posting anything makes Reddit known as the ‘Front page of the Internet.

What Sets Apart Reddit from Other Social Media Platforms?

Reddit is a social news and discussion website. Users can post content such as text posts, links, and images, which are then voted up or down by other members. The content on Reddit is organized into user-created boards called “subreddits,” each focusing on a specific topic. Examples of popular subreddits are r/news, r/funny, r/movies, r/music, and so on. 

Reddit users are called Redditors. They can start a post and even post comments that can be upvoted or downvoted. The more upvotes a comment gets, the more prominent it will appear on the thread. If a particular post or comment violates the community guidelines, the moderators will remove them.

Is Reddit Safe for Kids?

Reddit is the 10th most visited website in the US, and its active user base reflects a young audience. A recent study shows that 40% of children in the US, Australia, and the UK use Reddit actively.

Perhaps the biggest attraction for teens is Reddit’s anonymity. Users rarely use their real names on Reddit, and there is no way to know their age and gender. Once users make an account, they are open to numerous subreddits, posts, and comments.

In short, no, Reddit is not safe for kids, given how much risky content they are exposed to. Anonymity and free-acces is a double edged sword. While it affords teens safety and privacy to explore their interests, it also exposes them to graphic, adult content.

Reddit has tightened the grip on hateful, graphic content on the site, but it is no stranger to controversy.

Here are some reasons why Reddit is unsafe for kids and teens:

i. Hate Speech

Reddit does claim to ban users from promoting hate or inciting violence against an individual’s race and identity. However, hateful comments and those targeting individuals can be found aplenty on the platform. If the subreddit is small with few members and less moderation, then foul language can pass without checks. Furthermore, Reddit lacks strict rules for non-English communities.

ii. No Age Verification

Teens can sign up without verifying their age. Like other platforms, Reddit asks users to be 13 years old or above to make an account. However, teens can easily lie about their age.

iii. Exposure to Adult Content

Reddit is famous for displaying NSFW (Not Safe/ Suitable For Work) for numerous content and subreddits. All the adult and violent images or videos are flagged as NSFW, and the content is blurred from viewing. However, kids can simply click ‘’Yes, I am above 18’’ and view the explicit material at will. 

iv. Private Messages and Abusive Comments

Users on Reddit can interact with each other via private messages and invites to group chat. Kids can unknowingly come in contact with online predators and cyberbullies who take advantage of Reddit’s nature of staying anonymous. Many users discuss, share, and give opinions on different things, but some abuse, troll, and cyberbully others.

v. Spread of Misinformation

The subreddits and content on Reddit are made and moderated entirely by the users. This allows anyone to start a debate, ask questions, or give information. Due to the extent of information, kids can easily come across some that are misleading and false.

How Parents Can Ensure Reddit Safety for Their Kids

Reddit has the usual settings that users can use to refrain from getting inappropriate content. However, the platform lacks advanced controls that allow parents to view and monitor their teen’s activities.

You can adjust the setting to prevent a stranger from interacting with your kid. But for that, you have to log in to your child’s Reddit account.  Also, there is always a chance the kid can reverse the changes you make in the settings.

Apart from the dangers that are common in other social networks too, Reddit can be a place where your teen can learn, explore their passion, and connect with like-minded individuals.

If your teen is already using Reddit or plans to, here are the tips for you to follow

1. Observe Reddit and Talk with the Teen

Before talking with your child, it is better to make an account and use Reddit on your own. You will get familiar with how the platform works and how users interact with subreddits. This activity will let you know about the risks and how to address them to your teen.

If the child is already using Reddit, you can observe their activity and the posts they make. Discuss the things you find awkward and inappropriate for the kids. Tell the teen to be polite, recognize suspicious behavior, and avoid sharing information or posting that reveals their identity or location.

2. Ask Teen to Enable Reddit Safety Features

It is better for parents to allow their teens to use Reddit if they are 16 or above. Parents must also set the privacy settings and make their profiles more private. You can activate settings that prevent users from following the kids and viewing their content and the communities in which they are active.

Select ‘Nobody’ instead of ‘Everyone,’ which will stop strangers from sending repealed requests or private messages. Teens should also know how to block users, which will limit their access to their content or activity. Open the feed settings and toggle the option for the platform to not show NSFW media and content in the feed and other search results.

If you want to be more careful, sign up from your email and ask the kid to use it. This way, you can not only apply the right safety settings but also get regular notifications on their activity.

3. Use a Monitoring App

Reddit does not offer built-in parental controls for managing your kid’s activity. You need a robust monitoring app like XNSPY to get valuable information and insights on Reddit usage. It is a versatile app that provides numerous tools to keep tabs on the child’s smartphone use, particularly how they behave on social media. 

XNSPY is one of the few apps that logs user data on over 10 social media apps. The apps include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Viber, Tinder, Kik, YouTube, Line, Telegram, and Skype. In addition, the app provides location tracking, phone logs, internet history, call and surround recording, and remote access to the device.

Here is how you can use XNSPY to track Reddit activity

Monitor the time your teen spends on Reddit

The screen time management feature provides complete details on the teen’s total time on their devices. XNSPY gives a list of the most frequently launched apps and their duration. You can see how much time they spend on Reddit and other apps. This will help you ensure they maintain a healthy balance between online activities and other responsibilities.

View activity with screen recording

XNSPY has a dynamic screen recording tool that captures all the visual activity performed on an app. You can see the subreddits they visit, the posts they interact with, the images they share, and the comments they make. The recordings are uploaded to remote servers; you can view them remotely from the dashboard. You can use this feature to promptly identify any exposure to harmful or explicit material and take necessary action.

Receive an alert if the child uses risky language

XNSPY has employed a smart way to alert parents who lead busy lives and cannot monitor their kids 24/7. With Watchlist Words, you can set specific keywords related to bullying, slang, harassment, and mature language. If these keywords appear in your teen’s Reddit interactions, XNSPY will alert you immediately.

Block the Reddit app

The risky language and mature content that teens, particularly those in the early years of adolescence, can be exposed to is concerning. If your teen excessively uses Reddit and you discover potential danger, XNSPY lets you block the app. You can use the dashboard to block the app and prevent the kid from using it.

Conclusion

Reddit has over 100,000 communities that serve both common and niche interests. The subreddits can provide engaging information and entertainment to teens. However, most users use fake names to stay anonymous, use mature language, and share inappropriate content. As Reddit is an open-sourced platform, teens can easily be influenced and even become targets of bullying, grooming, and sexual content.

Parents need to be proactive and aware of their teen’s activities on the platform. Those unaware of how Reddit works must make an account and get familiar with it. The platform does not have parental controls, making it imperative to use a monitoring app. XNSPY offers tools and features to determine your child’s Reddit usage. The app tracks each action the child takes on the platform and logs the information. Use the dashboard to identify their subreddit activity and content that is unsuitable for their age and take necessary action.