Social Media

Why Does My Child Add Strangers as ‘Friends’ Online?

How many of your Facebook friends or Twitter followers have you actually met in offline, or know personally? According to recent, the average 12 to 15-year-old children in Britain has never met 25% of their Facebook friends, making them online ‘strangers’.

Why then do they add or accept friend requests from online strangers? One of the reason may be due to the evolution of social games where they require users to have as many friends as possible, so as to earn points or virtual goods from as many sources as possible.

A popular example is Candy Crush where players are encouraged to send to and receive lives from online friends. With a bigger group of friends, it is easier to gain lives and strengthen gaming experiences. Similarly, Texas Holdem Poker by Zynga, allow players to send virtual poker chips to friends, hence boosting their total bankroll and reaping other benefits.

Games as such encourage users to randomly add strangers who play similar types of games, in the hope of getting something they need for the games. However, players may be too focused on their wants and overlook the risks of befriending strangers online.

Being friends with strangers online can make one a prey to online “love” scams. A new survey from Harris Interactive has found that nearly 13 million American Adults who use social networking sites are more than willing to accept these friend’s requests from strangers of the opposite gender, so imagine the heightened risk involving our children alone. Adding strangers online also increases the risk to identity theft and online scams, as they can view information and personal activities on your social media that is required for hacking.

A child is at an even greater vulnerability to these strangers, especially if they entice them with “Free Stuff”, “Lottery” and “Knockoffs”. This may lead to consequences such as being prey to sexual online predators, credit scams or blackmailing a child to commit illegal acts.

Before it is too late, parents should guide and caution their children about online risks and advise them to interact only with friends they personally know when online. Using real examples or educating them on the consequences may save a child from doing the regrettable.