5 Things Parents Need to Know about Pinterest

From the above features, Pinterest is undoubtedly appealing to young users. It is also a great source of inspiration for various projects, helping to stimulate creativity.

2What's the Age Limit on Pinterest

According to Pinterest's terms of service, the minimum age requirement to create an account is 13 years old. This aligns with the guidelines set by the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the United States, which aims to safeguard the privacy of children under 13.

Unfortunately, even though the platform regulates users must be 13 years old, it doesn't have age verification to strengthen this protection. That means, users younger than 13 can still access Pinterest using fake birthdates.

3Is Pinterest Safe for Kids and Teens

Although Pinterest is relatively safe for children and teenagers than other social media, there are potential risks that make it not kid-friendly:

Harmful Content

Despite efforts to reduce and remove adult content, there's a possibility that inappropriate material can still be shared. See, when I search for "nudity," there are lots of Pins popping up to show naked images.

What's more, some malicious people even utilize the messages feature to send sexual content. In addition to explicit Pins, "there is too much content related to drinking, drugs, and smoking," a parent said in Pinterest's reviews.

Cyberbullying and Harassment

As Pinterest is more about sharing content, users may create Pins to discuss "yes or no", which urges your kids to vote their thoughts. This time, a drastic debate and cyberbullying also crept in.

Some anonymous users even attack and harass your child through messages. All these negative interactions have the ability to impact a child's self-esteem and emotional well-being.

Over-Reliance

The endless scroll feature on Pinterest can make it easy for users, including kids and teens, to spend excessive amounts of time on the platform. And this can interfere with other aspects of their lives, such as schoolwork and social interactions.

Plus, always seeking ideas from Pinterest leads to over-reliance on this app and affects brain development.

Misleading

Pinterest hosts a vast array of content, and not all information is verified or accurate. Children may come across misleading or false information, which can be particularly problematic if they're seeking educational or health-related guidance.

Privacy Concerns

Pinterest profiles and boards can be public by default, meaning anyone can view a user's activity and interests. If your child lacks privacy control, the risk of unwanted attention from strangers and personal data leaks can increase.

4What Pinterest Is Doing for Child Safety

Pinterest is committed to ensuring a safe and positive experience for all users, especially children and teenagers. Here are some ways Pinterest uses to address child safety concerns.

Pinterest maintains strict community guidelines and policies to prevent child exploitation and harmful content. It not only takes a zero-tolerant attitude towards any form of child sexual exploitation material but also collaborates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to reduce and report that content.

Besides restrictions, Pinterest also lends a helping hand to children. For example, when your child might be searching for self-harm-related keywords, Pinterest provides resources and support links to guide them toward proper support channels and find assistance.

Additionally, Pinterest encourages parents to use the "Parental Passcode" feature, which prevents your child from adjusting Pinterest settings related to their privacy, data, and social permissions.

By addressing the potential risks and safety measures Pinterest has, now, you can know if Pinterest is safe for kids, and how safe it is. 

5How to Keep Kids Safe on Pinterest

First off, you must ensure your children sign up for Pinterest using the correct age. This helps in implementing appropriate content filters and ensures that the content they see is suitable for their age group. Then, try the following methods to make Pinterest more friendly for kids:

Add Parental Passcode

Setting up a passcode for your child's account locks their Pinterest settings and increases their account privacy.

Set up Pinterest Guidelines

You should educate and guide your children on how to use Pinterest safely. Here are some instructions you can lead your children to abide by:

• Tell them to block users who are sending unwanted messages or content.
• Teach them to report offensive or inappropriate content. This helps Pinterest take action against harmful material.
• Guide them on balancing their screen time between Pinterest and offline activities.
• Educate them never to click on links from unknown users or comments.
• Instruct them not to share their personal info like address, name, and number on Pins.

To prevent excessive screen time on Pinterest, consider using AirDroid Parental Control to promote your child to build a healthy screen time habit. This app makes it easy to limit your child's time spent on specific apps like Pinterest and other addictive apps.