Introduction into our video series on teens and the dangers of social media. This series will examine 15 dangers of social media and offer 10 practical parenting tips to keep kids safe.

Social Media presents a danger to our kids because it is a mixed bag. Although we know it has risks, its positive benefits keep us from keeping out teens away from it completely.

Social media includes many platforms from text messaging to phone apps that we easily recognize. However, often our kids are engaged with social media in ways we don't think about. Learning all of these platforms can be really tricky.

Social media has risks for all of us, but brain development makes teens especially vulnerable.

That urge to pull out your phone and check your notifications is one of the dangers. Social media definitely has an addictive quality.

Since social media opens up a portal to the world, the content that it exposes our kids to can be full of unwanted elements.

When our kids spend time on social media, something is lost. That loss is time in the real world and all the benefits of it.

You never think you can be a victim, but many teens find themselves entangled in scams they stumble into on social media.

We all experienced or at least witnessed bullying on the playground. The bullying and relational aggression that our teens encounter on social media is a whole different beast.

Not only can social media make our children victims, social media can also lead to a rise in violence and aggression within our own kids.

We all need down time during the day to think and process. For many teens, social media is a cause of significant overstimulation.

Your teen's mental health is at stake every time they compare their real life to those they see presented on social media.

Teens have always desired to be accepted by their peers. Social media can drive this desire to high risk behaviors.

Especially for our teens, social media can have detrimental effects on self-image.

Rejection is a normal part of life but social media can dish it out to our teens at toxic levels.

Social media can even influence our in person communication patterns and lead to struggles in that area.

As parents, we much educate ourselves about the dangers of social media and the caveats of each platform if we want to keep our children and teens safe.

Setting a good example in how we use social media, is impactful for our teens.

Delaying the start of social media helps decreases our kid's years of exposure and gives them time to mature before that first introduction.

Adding one new platform or app at a time to our teens repertoire, gives us and them the ability to learn it and its pitfalls well.

Effective monitoring of your child's social media engagements if crucial for keeping them safe.

Placement of a new app on the parent's device allows a teen to learn how to use it responsibly under close supervision.

Our teens desperately need us, as parents, to make rules and set limits when it comes to social media.

We can combat some of the negative effects of social media by engaging our teens in person.

When we create designated times when electronic devices are not used, we allow our teens to have much needed breaks.

By teaching our teen about responsible social media use, its dangers, and how to protect themselves, we keep them safe now and in the future.