It's no secret that many teens are online these days, and the truth is that it's getting more difficult to monitor their behavior.
So, when a grade 9 teacher asked her students what their parents don't know about social media, the answers were as heartbreaking as you'd expect them to be.
Before, it was difficult enough to share computers to simply learn how to type. But now, many schools are giving students laptops and tablets to do work on.
She's been noticing some changes in her students that are major red flags for her regarding the current state of technology.
Lately, she's been concerned about the mental health of her students,; she wants to know if they're being bullied and what their social media use looks like. She shared her concerns in a now-viral Facebook post.
"I see these little people in their most awkward and most emotional stage of life. I teach them science, but when I have time I try to squeeze in some life lessons and mentoring," she said.
"Lately, I've been really concerned about their mental health, bullying, and social media use," she said.
She was appalled by the answers she received.
I'm surprised that there were some students that didn't have social media, quite honestly.
iI's getting harder and harder for parents to track which platforms their teens have accounts on, no matter how involved they are in their kids' online presence.
It's fairly easy for anyone to take their devices to bed these days. Many parents might not realize how late their teens are online instead of getting a good night's rest.
While it can keep away people you don't know, it also means that you can hide things from people who you know would not approve of them.
While there are some benefits to this feature, it can create another roadblock for parents trying to monitor their teen's online interactions.
As this student said, a lot of students simply use social media to escape boredom. Also, having a dedicated "spam" account is becoming the norm among teens and adults.
One of the most troubling revelations came from this student who acknowledged that they know they aren't supposed to talk to certain people online, but do so anyway.
Her post contained a strong message to parents:
"Parents of the world, WAKE. UP.
Your kids are living in a world that you are not invited to be part of. And they know how to keep you out. "
"Your teenager DOES NOT NEED a smartphone," she said.
With all that happens on social media, kids can afford to hold off for a few years. They're not going to miss out on much.
