Your Teen's Post Went Viral. Now What?
With the rise of TikTok and ever changing algorithms, the odds of going viral online are higher than ever before. Whether it's a strategic play for views or a throwaway post that catches fire, going viral can be both exciting and terrifying. As a parent in the 21st century, it can be difficult to know exactly how to handle this very niche phenomenon.
'Nowadays, [anyone can go] viral, whether from a post of their own or a post of someone else's,' Gen Z culture writer and critic Steffi Cao explains. When a post goes viral, it spreads very quickly, often within hours, with high levels of engagement. This can happen to anyone at any time and, if your teen's profiles aren't on private, it means their videos can be viewed by millions of people around the world.
Sans a parenting guidebook on all things social media, it can be difficult to know how to handle your teen going viral. It's something that many people aren't mentally or emotionally equipped to deal with, especially young people. Below, we spoke to experts on how to cope if your teen goes viral.
While excitement and pride might be the first emotions teens feel when they go viral, Dr. Tamara Soles, child psychologist and director of The Secure Child based in Montreal, Canada, says that anxiety, embarrassment, and overwhelm can also be triggered as a response to sudden fame.
'Going viral can be thrilling, but it also puts them under an intense spotlight that even adults are not always emotionally prepared for,' Dr. Soles explains. While the validation of likes and comments can be exciting at first, some might find it difficult to deal with, especially if there's harmful comments involved.
'Sudden internet fame can trigger anxiety, sleep issues, obsessive screen checking, and even depression—especially if the attention turns negative,' Dr. Soles says. 'Teens may also struggle with identity confusion or feel pressure to replicate the success of a viral post and continue to grow their account.'
In addition to emotional distress, Cao says that going viral has several other risks, including harassment, doxxing, and hate campaigns. She also notes that there's 'the general stripping of privacy and a larger digital footprint that we know now is likely being used for surveillance and data mining, now including for generative AI.'
Another concern can be a phone addiction or dependency, with your teen constantly checking and refreshing their apps to stay up-to-date with the latest comments. With apps designed specifically to target the human reward system, going viral can increase the desire for quick dopamine hits.
While some kids might want to continue to engage and capitalize on the attention to grow their accounts, Dr. Soles recommends parents help their teens find ways to break out of that instant gratification mindset.
In collaboration with your teen, she recommends creating a social safety plan that can involve strategies such as:
Avoid reading comments
Have someone else delete harmful comments
Turn off commenting
Switch the account to private
Limit access to the phone in general
'It's important to reassure [your child] that it's okay to step back. Keep routines consistent and provide space to process their feelings,' Dr. Soles adds.
There are some opportunities where going viral can be used positively. These include using this temporary fame to raise money or awareness for specific causes, a boost in confidence, the opening of creative or career opportunities, and even connecting with supportive communities.
Cao notes that many people are often looking for opportunities for virality to help launch their careers as influencers, receive free merchandise from PR companies, or even age-old bragging rights among their friends.
There are several protective measures you can take if your child is being harassed online. First and foremost, Dr. Soles recommends documenting the harassment, reporting it to the platform, and blocking offenders. You can even contact school officials or law enforcement if the case is serious enough.
Cao adds that deleting your teen's account or switching them to private helps guarantee their information will not be used as public data and helps avoid random accounts from messaging or harassing your teen.
Logging off is one of the simplest ways to help avoid unwanted situations. 'The internet, even if it is more of a parallel reality that travels with us in our pockets—no longer this tethered place—is still something we can choose to opt out of,' Cao adds.To help keep young people safe online, Cao suggests the following important strategies:Don't post "live" from specific locations
If creating content in a recognizable area, wait until you've left that location to post
Refrain from sharing personal information or location on social media"General social media safety rules like this are important to teach young people who are navigating the internet," Cao adds. "I highly recommend alt accounts that are primarily used for content-viewing rather than personal posting for anyone who wants to maintain some semblance of privacy."While everyone reacts to going viral differently, Dr. Soles says parents should watch their teens' behavior for signs of distress, which can include changes in sleep, appetite, mood, or talks about not wanting to go online or school. If you notice any of these changes in your teen, Dr. Soles recommends reaching out to a mental health professional immediately. 'Don't wait for things to get 'bad enough',' she stresses.
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