The ease with which children can access adult content and explicit material online is alarming for parents. While most social media platforms enforce strict policies to protect children and early teens, a few come with less intricate and easily breachable systems.
Recently, X, formerly known as Twitter, officially permitted users to post, view, and share adult nudity and sexual content under new policies. This change means that 7% of X’s global audience aged 13 to 17 can be exposed to such material. However, this reported 7% may be significantly underestimated as users can easily lie about their age when signing up, leading to a higher potential exposure among underage users.
If you have a child at home who regularly uses social media, you can be sure that they are exposed to adult material.
This guide offers step-by-step instructions to help parents like you shield their children from inappropriate content on X.
What is X Porn, and Why Does The Platform Allow it?
X is well-known for its controversies, particularly as one of the major social media platforms that permit explicit content—often referred to as “X porn.” This material is reminiscent of OnlyFans, a subscription-based platform that allows sex workers to paywall their material.
However, on X, most pornographic material is much easier to access since there is no subscription/payment required.
The social media network primarily allows explicit content due to its commitment to freedom of speech. The platform believes in letting users share whatever they desire without imposing strict restrictions on inappropriate content. However, it should be noted that users must mark such content as sensitive when posting. This requirement doesn’t stop the kids from viewing such content.
While X does have age restrictions intended to prevent minors from accessing explicit content, these measures are easily circumvented. Children can falsify their age or use someone else’s account during creation. The platform’s moderation has also seen a noticeable decline, with highly explicit material available to users on their main timelines.
Due to these factors and the ease with which restrictions can be bypassed, X poses a significant risk to children.
Is It Easy to Find Porn on X (Twitter)?
Yes, it is relatively easy to find pornographic content on X (formerly Twitter). The platform’s lenient content policies and emphasis on free speech allow the unrestricted distribution of adult content. Children can use specific hashtags to locate explicit material, which includes user-generated content, as people can post a wide range of media.
When X users share adult content, it is rapidly disseminated across the platform. By default, X does not block adult content from appearing in search results or timelines unless users precisely adjust their media settings to filter out sensitive content. If your child finds an explicit clip or picture, they can easily share it.
X’s ‘For You’ tab also curates content based on user interests. This tab aggregates posts from across the platform, and without stringent content moderation, it can expose users to inappropriate material. If your child has interacted with explicit content, the algorithm will save this behavior and continue to show similar content, increasing the likelihood of exposure.
Preventing Kids to Watch Porn on X (Twitter): Step By Step Guide for Parents
Although the government and various organizations are taking measures to protect children from the drastic impacts of increasing pornographic content online, parents, too, need to take action.
You must understand how adult content can harm your kids and how you can protect them. Keeping your children safe from explicit content on X requires a strategic approach. Here’s a comprehensive step-by-step guide to help you manage and restrict your child’s exposure to inappropriate material on the platform.
Step 1: Understanding the Effects
To properly protect your children from the debilitating effects of exposure to porn on X, you must first understand the associated risks.
Being exposed to such content is not just ethically questionable; it has severe consequences on your child’s mental health. UNICEF, explicitly lays out in its report Protection of children from the harmful impacts of pornography: “Exposure to pornography at a young age may lead to poor mental health, sexism and objectification, sexual violence, and other negative outcomes.”
The international body, known for protecting children has started campaigns to prevent exposure to adult content, including mass media campaigns for parents, carers, teachers, and other professionals working with children.
It goes without saying that exposure to pornographic material can have various negative impacts on children, including distorted perceptions of sexuality, increased anxiety, and inappropriate behavior.
Recognizing these risks emphasizes the importance of taking proactive steps to shield your child from such content. Though it may seem daunting and cannot be controlled, you don’t need to worry because there are various ways to safeguard your children from inappropriate content on X.
Step 2: Using X (Twitter) Privacy Settings
X offers several privacy settings that can help limit your child’s exposure to explicit content. These setting restrict their access to such content to some extent. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use these features:
Privacy Settings
- Open the X app and go to your child’s profile by clicking on their profile picture.
- From the menu, go to Settings & Support, tap the arrow, and then select “Settings and Privacy.”
- Navigate to “Privacy and safety“. And tap “Content you see.”
- Select “Sensitive Media.”
- Tap on “Adult Content” and Select “Never show this.”
- From the “Sensitive Media” Menu. You can use similar settings for Graphic Violence and other data.
- Adjust the settings from “Audience and tagging” to restrict who can see your child’s tweets and who can tag them in photos.
Filtering Content Option
- Within “Privacy and safety,” select “Mute and Block.”
- Check and manage the blocked and muted accounts to ensure safety.
- Click on the three dots against the profile and select the Blocking option to block accounts that can expose your kids to explicit content. In addition, you can block out content with the “Mute” account option. Muting an account will no longer show content from that specific account on the X feed.
- The Mute words option restricts new alerts for tweets containing the words you have muted. Moreover, it will block content with those words from Twitter’s timeline.
By meticulously configuring these settings, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of your child encountering explicit content on X.
Step 3: Reporting Inappropriate Content
As mentioned above, Twitter might not filter the content by default; however, you can report inappropriate content you do not wish to see again.
X’s moderation response is sometimes slightly slow, so it may take a while for them to take action. Still, reporting such content can help the algorithm stop showing similar content. Here’s how to report inappropriate content:
- Tap three dots against the tweet you want to report.
- Select “Report post.”
- Choose the reason for reporting. In this example, we’ll select “Sensitive or disturbing media“.
- Scroll to check all the options and select the one that suits you best. The options will vary according to the one you selected in the above step.
While reporting inappropriate content is necessary, it may not be sufficient to protect your child from harmful material. You must implement comprehensive measures and adjust Twitter settings to eliminate the possibility of your child encountering inappropriate content.
Step 4: Using Parent Control Applications – XNSPY
If you still find porn on X after enabling all protective measures on your phone, you can try effective third-party solutions. While there are many tools out there that can help you limit access to pornography on your child’s phone, none provide the same level of ease of use as parental monitoring apps.
If you’re looking to block porn on X for your child’s phone, we recommend using XNSPY. This robust parental monitoring app provides easy oversight of your child’s activities across the internet.
This software not only protects your children from X porn but from all content that can harm your child’s mental health.
Let’s explore how this app can help you block porn on X.
Screentime Analytics
The first step to quantifying the impact of porn on X for your child is checking how much they actually use the app. This can then help inform the decisions you take next.
XNSPY provides an intuitive dashboard detailing how often an app is launched, how long it was used, and the total screen time. This feature’s utility lies in establishing overall phone usage and just how much time is spent on sites and apps that offer access to pornography.
You can view screentime analytics for any period, which helps establish usage trends over a longer time. This determines how pervasive their consumption of porn on X has been.
Screen Recording
The XNSPY screen recording feature captures live screen activity, offering real-time insights into what children are doing on their devices. This feature helps you protect your child in the act, not after the damage is done.
If you fear that your child is engaging with pornographic material on X, you can record their screen without them knowing and view the recording on your dashboard remotely to confirm your suspicions.
XNSPY automatically takes screenshots every 5 seconds when the X app is in use. You can also trigger this functionality from the “Remote Control” tab on the dashboard.
Watchlist Words
XNSPY’s watchlist words feature allows you to set specific keywords related to X or pornographic content. Add as many words related to nudity, porn, and inappropriate content.
XNSPY sends instant alerts if these words are typed or received on chats on the monitored device. You can get these alerts in the alerts section from the menu. This proactive measure enables you to address potentially harmful situations quickly and effectively, helping to protect your children from exposure to inappropriate material.
Blocking Installed Apps
In extreme circumstances, it may be best to remotely lock the X app altogether. While harsh, this protective feature of XNSPY offers a foolproof way to restrict access to pornographic material, allowing you to step in and take further measures.
Once locked, the app will be completely inaccessible for your child. It will remain this way until you allow access to the app again through your dashboard.
Monitor Internet Browsing History
X does not explicitly require you to access the app to use its features. However, your children might bypass the app lock you enabled for X by using it through a web browser. XNSPY allows parents to track their children’s internet browsing history, providing insights into the websites they visit.
From the dashboard, go to phone logs and check the internet history. If your child uses the X website, you can check it from here, along with the time they visited last and the number of times they visited it. You need to check into their activity to see if it is more than what should be required.
By reviewing the browsing history, you can take the necessary actions to check their usage further.
Installing XNSPY
Installing and managing XNSPY is easy and can be done in a few steps.
- Visit the XNSPY website and purchase a subscription plan. If you have more children or phones you want to monitor, you can buy multiple subscription plans.
- Install the app on the phone you want to supervise. It can be installed on iPhones, iPads, Android smartphones and tablets. The app will be invisible and will not show itself on the phone. Although invisible, it is best to discuss it with your children.
- Once installed, log in to your XNSPY account to start monitoring.
Step 5: Educating Your Child
While technical measures are crucial, educating your child directly about the dangers of explicit content is equally important. You can inquire about the data you found through the parental app or ask them to show their phone.
If not, either way, you can have a general discussion with your child about the dangers of interacting with adult content. You have to clearly state the consequences and establish clear guidelines for internet use.
Additionally, encourage them to come to you if they encounter anything inappropriate. Educating them and talking to them directly without any hesitation breaks barriers and allows you to understand their point of view more clearly. It creates a sense of responsibility and awareness that compels them to adhere to safe online practices.
Step 6: Monitoring and Adjusting Settings
Even if you have followed all the instructions, it doesn’t mean you are free from all worries. Pornographic content tends to become an addiction, one that is just as hard to quit as cigarettes or alcohol.
Due to such overwhelming circumstances, you must keep a continuous check and balance on your child. Regularly monitor and review X’s privacy settings and XNSPY’s configurations to adapt to new features or changes in your child’s online behavior. Stay engaged with your child’s digital life to address any issues promptly.
Conclusion
Pornographic or adult content can severely damage your child’s mental health and corrupt their views on intimacy, sexuality, and relationships. Parents these days have limited options of monitoring their children but XNSPY can genuinely help with those issues.
Interactions with inappropriate content are sensitive topics for both parents and children. Using a multifaceted approach that combines technical measures, XNSPY, and open communication with your child allows you to understand the situation more clearly.
Implementing the above-mentioned steps offers in-depth insights and helps create a safer digital space for your child, giving you peace of mind as your children navigate the online world.
