Background:
 

• 93% of Americans use the internet with nearly 500,000 new internet users daily. 95% of teens in the US are online. 
   

• 4.9 BILLION PEOPLE are on social media. |
   

• Children spend an average of 2 hours a day in front of a screen with the predominate activity involving the internet. 

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Statistics: 

• According to a national study, 1 in 7 teens admits to having sent a "Sext Message." This is a text message that is sexual in nature with an alarming 88% of self-generated images being collected and put on other sites without the sender's knowledge (Internet Watch Foundation)
   

• Cyberbullying has become a huge problem with 37% of young people ages 12-17 reporting being bullied online. 
   

• According to the DEA, popular social media platforms such as Snapchat are being used for the sale of dangerous drugs in communities.
   

• The popular platform TikTok features a pro self-harm and pro-eating disorder consisting of over 13 billion views (Deadly By Design, Center for Countering Digital Hate). 
   

• Social media has become a major source for human trafficking and a home for internet predators with 20% of children saying they have been solicited online and 75% reporting they did not tell their parents.
   

• While it is true that a parent cannot be everywhere at once, there are some resources that will serve to inform you as well as to protect your children online that may be found in our resources section below.