The Organization for Social Media Safety is the first consumer protection organization exclusively focused on social media. We work to make social media safe for everyone.
We protect against all social media-related dangers including:
About 88% of social media-using teens have witnessed other people being mean or cruel on social networking sites. Approximately 34% of students report experiencing cyberbullying.
Approximately 5% of students reported that they had been the victim of sextortion.
Some 21% of women ages 18 to 29 report being sexually harassed online. About 53% of young women ages 18 to 29 say that someone has sent them explicit images they did not ask for.
Adolescents who spent more than 3 hours per day on social media faced double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, including symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Greater time spent on leads to an increase in psychological distress and suicidal ideation in depressed adolescents. In one study, about 43% of young adults had seen self-harm content on Instagram. About 32.5% indicated that they have performed the same or similar self-harming behavior as a consequence.
TikTok hashtags hosting eating disorder content have over 13.2 billion views. According to one study, a new TikTok account set up by a 13-year-old user who views and likes content about body image and mental health will be recommended that content every 39 seconds
According to one study, one in four young people sees illicit drugs advertised for sale on social media.
Many child sex crimes now originate from social media sites where predators gain knowledge of their victims’ likes and habits.
The Organization for Social Media Safety uses an innovative, consumer protection-oriented approach that includes:
Education
We teach social media safety skills to students, parents, and educators across the country.
Advocacy
We advocate at all levels of government to improve and create public policies that enhance social media safety.
Technology
We develop software and applications to provide real-time protection against any and all social media-related dangers.
The Organization for Social Media Safety is an urgently-needed, effective solution to the threat that social media poses to our society and our families. Working together, I am confident we can make social media safe for everyone.
Ed Peisner, Founder and National Education Director