What Is 4chan, and Is it Safe for Kids?
If your kids love to involve in Internet forums, one of the names you may be hearing about a lot lately is 4chan. But as a parent, you might be wondering whether it's safe for kids. If you're asking this question right now, we want to assure you that you're not alone because many parents are concerned about the same thing.
The good news is that we've thoroughly explored 4chan from what is 4chan to is it safe. Let's get started.
What Is 4chan and How Does It Work?
Founded in 2003, 4chan is an anonymous imageboard website that hosts discussions on a wide range of topics, including politics, travel, sex, science, fashion, anime, music, cook, and much more. According to 4chan's official data, its users' interests are frequently linked to "Japanese culture, anime and manga."
How Does 4chan Work?
4chan and Reddit operate almost in similar ways. On 4chan, topics are categorized into "boards," much like "subreddits" on Reddit.
Users who first come to 4chan and browse on a board will be asked to accept the disclaimer. After that, they can create a thread with relevant images in their interested boards, and other users can comment on it. However, unlike Reddit, 4chan does not require users to register, so users remain anonymous.
Key Features of 4chan:
What Is The Minimum Age to Use 4chan?
According to 4chan's disclaimer, the content of the website is for mature audience only. Hence, to use 4chan, you must be at least 18 years old.
However, there are still users under 18 on the site since there is no age verification policy in place and is totally anonymous. To prevent your minor children from accessing 4chan, we recommend using AirDroid Parental Control to completely restrict 4chan usage on your kids' phones.
Is 4chan Safe for Kids and Teens?
No, 4chan is not safe for minor users. Although the site hosts a wide range of topics and has safety measures, the risks it poses outweigh the potential benefits. Let's examine some of the possible dangers and positive features of 4chan.
1Potential Risks of Using 4chan:
Anonymity
4chan is a platform where anyone can post or reply to threads anonymously. For kids, this environment can be especially dangerous, as they may interact with unsafe or suspicious users, which can expose them to malicious behavior.
No Parental Controls
4chan lacks built-in parental controls and is largely unregulated as it is mainly designed for adults. Although the site offers options to hide posts and filter out non-healthy boards, these filters are not very robust and can be easily bypassed.
Inappropriate Content
4chan allows users to sew threads on any topic, including inappropriate ones. Moreover, 4chan itself contains a lot of adult boards and topics and even offers an option to locate NSFW boards.
As a result, kids can access harmful and explicit boards or topics, such as those with sexual content or politically incorrect material, with relative ease. Did we need to emphasize how mentally disturbing inappropriate content can be to a kid or teen?
Hate Speech
Hate speech is common on certain 4chan boards. For instance, on politically incorrect boards, users often express racist, sexist, and discriminatory views, which can affect kids psychologically and their worldviews.
Cyberbullying
Again, the anonymous nature of 4chan makes it a haven for cyberbullies. Users can post harmful threads, and some members might even respond to posts with insults or provocations. For kids who are not mature enough to handle such content, this can lead to serious dangers, including emotional distress.
2Safety Settings on 4chan:
Boards Filters
There are four filter options on 4chan to help user find their interested topic, including "Show Worksafe Board Only" and "Show NSFW Board Only." By clicking on the "filter" arrow button besides "Boards," and selecting "Show Worksafe Board Only," 4chan will restrict users to inappropriate boards and topics.
Text Hiding
Aside from that, 4chan also supports users to hide posts and comments based on words. For example, if I choose to hide "retarded" from comments, then all comments containing this text will be omitted to me. To do so:
- Step 1.Go to "Settings" from the top-right.
- Step 2.Click on "Edit" next to "Filter and highlight specific threads/posts."
- Step 3.Then, enter words you don't wish to see and choose "Comment" or "Subject" under "Type."
- Step 4.Check the "Hide" option.
- Step 5.Save the settings to make them effects.
Post Reporting
Although 4chan is anonymous, you are allowed to report malicious or illegal threads. When a post is reported, it may be deleted. The steps involved in reporting a post is simple. Just click on the arrow button beside the reply or thread. Then, you can see "Report post."
Verdict: Should Your Child Use 4chan?
No, this platform is for 18+ only. While 4chan is a great place to discover interests, it's important to be aware that the platform's anonymity and the presence of inappropriate content on various boards make it unsafe for younger ones. Kids visiting 4chan can be exposed to dangers like cyberbullying, hate speech and sexual abuse.
But if your kids insist on using 4chan, please apply the built-in safety settings we discussed above or consider using content-filtering apps like AirDroid to manage what they can browse. And here are other ways to safeguard your kids from the risks to some extent:
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