Since the introduction of Pinterest in 2010, it has raised a lot of eyebrows. And it also has drawn a lot of attention to itself. Pinterest became the top result in Google Images search results by 2020. The platform has gained widespread acceptance since most people use it to save, share, and organize images and ideas for various purposes ranging from DIY to photography. Although most of the content posted by users is exceptionally clean, there are some explicit materials that children may be exposed to on the platform. Pinterest for kids can be helpful in many ways. However, if the kids go out of their way to look for iffy stuff, they will undoubtedly discover it.
Unfortunately, there is no filter for language, drugs, or violence on the platform. Thus, its users would also have to resist being exposed to numerous content and advertisements frequently uploaded across user boards. In addition, if you search for a specific product, the platform will show you anything similar to your search, which may include explicit content. Thus, parents need to be on the watch.
What Is Pinterest?
Pinterest is a visual search engine that allows you to look for recipes, home and fashion inspiration, and other ideas.
You’ll never run out of innovative ideas on Pinterest, with billions of Pins to select from. So save your favorite Pins to boards to keep all of your ideas in one place. You may also use Pinterest to create Pins to share your thoughts with others.
Why Is Pinterest Popular with Children?
It’s just in our human nature, especially in children, to explore new things. Their curious minds can’t help but imagine how it will feel to have a taste of new spaces. When kids are bored or seek to discover art displays or creative content on the internet, they often settle for the Pinterest platform. Pinterest is a significant platform that has achieved widespread appeal among children to get insight into their various projects. One of Pinterest’s essential functions is photo sharing, which might assist children in discovering artwork or more content related to their unique interests. The interest the platform has gained with kids has begged the question “Is Pinterest safe for kids?”
What Parents Should Know: Safety Tips
Pinterest is not entirely safe for children. Therefore, parents must stay current and keep certain factors in mind when allowing their children to use the Pinterest site. Children may be exposed to the following:
- Pinterest does not entirely block mature content
The Pinterest committee has been working on trying to block off explicit content. However, the efforts to block off these contents have not recorded a 100% success as some users have devised new methods to have some mature content uploaded. As a result, the Pinterest terms of service team has urged the public to report lousy content if they come across it on the platform.
If a user enters an unsuitable search term on the Pinterest platform, the site will state that “we don’t allow inappropriate things,” not precisely correct. There is a lot of indecent content that isn’t tagged using any inappropriate words that Pinterest’s filters would detect. The contents are there, but the Pinterest filter cannot fetch them out except if they get reported.
- Links may take you away from Pinterest to potentially harmful websites
In some cases, when a person is surfing the Pinterest platform, they get some ads and suggestion notifications. This notification can serve as a threat to kids and redirect them to a potentially harmful website.
Safety Tips for Parents
- Follow your child on Pinterest
This does not always mean that you see everything they look at, but it will display their pinnings. This will make it simple for you to check out their boards. Following your child is a practical approach to identifying any troubling tendencies in your child’s Pinterest activity before becoming a more significant issue. Following your children on the platform may have a psychological impact on them, preventing them from searching up and pinning harmful stuff on the platform.
- Create secret boards
People have agitations for the Pinterest committee to come up with a more friendly Pinterest for kids to use. Thus, the platform has taken it upon itself to develop a secret board that is only viewable to kids and those they invite. This is a step towards ensuring that there is a Pinterest parental controls measure that will help keep kids safe from potential threats.
- Block access to your kid’s account
Severely, we have seen people ask “How to block someone on Pinterest?” However, you can block someone on Pinterest by blocking them from their board. But in reality, this is not an efficient way to stop your kids from viewing explicit or inappropriate content. Several accounts can serve as a threat to your kids, so using a parental control app is the best way to go about it. Through uMobix, parents can now monitor and track their kids’ activities. This will restrict them from a lot of inappropriate content on the internet.
- Limit time
Limiting your child’s Pinterest time is a great approach to protect their safety on the site. First, keep a closer check on what they’re doing. Then, consider limiting your child’s time on Pinterest as you would on any social media site. Some children may struggle with easy access to sexual images or unsuitable content. Your primary obligation is to safeguard your children against dangers when they go to Pinterest. This can be accomplished by limiting their exposure to the content by limiting their time on the platform.
Is It Necessary to Use Pinterest Parental Control?
Yes, Pinterest parental control is required. This is because the platform isn’t safe for kids. By using parental control, parents can dictate what their children can view on the platform to a large extent. This helps prevent them from accessing unethical or unsafe information on the site.
How to Adjust Pinterest Parental Control?
As you can control outside activities for kids, you can also manage your kid’s activities on Pinterest through the following methods:
Filter Contents from Settings
Pinterest’s suggestions are based on the Pins you save and the topics you follow. By adjusting children’s Pinterest account settings, you may customize the preferences and filter content in the news feed. Thus, altering the settings allows you to choose which information the platform uses to serve advertising and other recommendations.
Using a Phone Tracking App
Pinterest can be unsafe for kids. However, there are many fantastic things they can pick up, such as Pinterest crafts for kids. But the downside to the platform makes it necessary to adopt the services of a phone tracking app such as uMobix. This app will assist you by reporting on the websites and software your kids are exposed to on the computer and how long they are using them. You can also use it to prevent your kids from accessing unsafe content while surfing the web, such as weapons, drugs, and instant messaging.
The Bottom Line: Pinterest for Kids
Pinterest is a website that allows you to save and share photographs. It is an appealing social network for teaching children to develop their creativity. However, the pressing question: “Why is Pinterest dangerous for kids?” still stands. The answer to this question is straightforward. Pinterest does not have a rigid policy regarding the content uploaded.
If you want extra security for your children, uMobix is your best bet. It is intended to detect the unsuitable or dark language in words and posts.
FAQ
The answer to this question can be either yes or no. The platform can be utilized to foster your child's creativity and artistic sensibility. It can also aid them with their tasks and mental development. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as Pinterest for kids, and it can also be hazardous to children. The platform is not completely secure because the posted content is not strictly controlled. This can be a means of introducing children to potentially harmful content.
Pinterest's most dreadful threat is explicit material. Children may be exposed to dangers such as pornographic content and violence-promoting information that Pinterest has not yet blocked on the platform. In addition, some links may take you away from Pinterest to potentially harmful websites. There is also a lack of privacy on Pinterest as most people are forced to use their real names when creating an account.
The terms of service stipulate that the minimum Pinterest age limit is at least 13 years old. However, in some nations, such as the European Union's member states, the age of consent ranges from 13 to 16. Therefore, if you live in any of those countries, you may be restricted only to using Pinterest if you are of legal age to provide consent to data processing under your country's laws.
Pinterest gathers data you have voluntarily provided, such as your name, profile photo, Pins, comments, likes, and email address. It also collects additional information from a mobile device, such as location data.
