Teen crime in the U.S. is historically low, but that statistic masks a troubling trend parents can’t afford to ignore. In recent years, there’s been a disturbing uptick in violence linked to social media, from fight compilations and “stomp outs” to gang activity and assaults coordinated online.
This trend raises a critical question: does social media promote violence among teens? In this article, we’ll break down how social media and violence interact, what the research says about teen behavior, and steps parents can take to reduce their child’s exposure and risk.
Is teen violence rising because of social media?
Violence among teens is on the rise on social media. After a pandemic-era spike, youth violence has been on a downward trajectory. But recently, a number of cities have seen an increase in violent crimes involving youth, with police citing social media as a frequent contributor to incidents.
Fight compilations. In this disturbing trend popular on YouTube, snippets of fights between everyday people, usually captured on phones, are stitched together into compilations.
Homicide. Some homicides are captured and posted on social media. Take the case of 16-year-old Preston Lord. A group known as the Gilbert Goons, who frequently recorded and posted their attacks on fellow teens, fatally beat Lord and bragged about the attack on social media.
Gang activity. Street gangs have taken to social media to recruit new members and issue threats to rival gangs.
“Stomp outs.” In street slang, a “stomp out” refers to a gang attack where a victim is repeatedly kicked and stomped, often by multiple attackers. This can be done for the purposes of initiation or an attack on rivals, and these incidents increasingly end up online.
Does social media promote violence among teens?
Numerous studies have found a link between witnessing violent activity on social media and real-life violence among teens. According to a 2024 report by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), nearly two-thirds of teens who reported perpetrating a violent incident in the prior 12 months preceding said that social media played a role.
This correlation is likely due to several factors:
Online arguments leading to in-person violence. Digital spats can quickly spill over into IRL conflicts, made worse by the fact that people are often emboldened to say things online that they never would face-to-face.
Exposure to violence on social media drives fear. In the YEF survey, only one in 20 teenagers said they carried a weapon, but one in three saw weapons on social media. This drives fear among teens and leads to some feeling the need to carry a weapon themselves.
Normalization of violence. Meta-analyses of the unhealthy effects of media violence show that youth who view violence online on a regular basis are more likely to display acceptance of and desensitization toward violent behavior.
The pursuit of likes. In an interview with PBS News, Commander Gabe Lopez, head of the Phoenix Police Department's Violent Crimes Bureau, shared his fear that young people are committing violent crimes “so they can post it on their social media feed, so they can get street cred, or so that they can get likes.”
How social media algorithms push violent content to teens
Social media sites use complex sets of rules and calculations, known as algorithms, to prioritize which content users see in their feeds. Here’s what you need to know about social media algorithms and violent content shown to teens:
Even when kids don’t seek out violent content, they’re shown it anyway. According to the YEF study, 70% of teens are exposed to real-life violence on social media, one quarter of which is pushed to users by the platforms’ algorithms.
The effect is often a snowball. If a teen pauses to watch a violent video in their feed, perhaps out of curiosity, they are more likely to be shown additional violent content. If kids actively seek violent content, the impact is even greater.
Teens are most likely to see violence on TikTok. 30% of all 13 to 17-year-olds and 44% of TikTok users report exposure to violence on the platform, according to the YEF study.
How parents can protect teens from violence on social media
Here are some actions you can take today to combat the negative effects of social media and violence on your child.
Reset their algorithms. Periodically help your child reset their social media algorithms to clear out harmful content, such as violent videos.
Help them understand the bigger picture. Make it clear to them that the majority of teens don’t engage in violence and explain how social media can skew perception.
Monitor their social media use. Use digital check-ins and a parental monitoring app like BrightCanary to keep an eye on your child’s social media.
Social media and violence: the final word
Despite teen violence decreasing overall in recent years, there has been a spike in violent incidents where social media played a role. In addition, exposure to violent content on social media can lead to real-world violence among teens. Parents should help their children understand the ways that social media promotes violence, periodically reset their algorithms, and monitor their online activity for violent content.
BrightCanary helps you monitor your child’s activity on the apps they use the most and sends you alerts when there’s an issue, including if they seek out or engage with violent content. Download today to get started for free.
UCLA/National Scientific Council on Adolescence Report on How to Improve Social Media for Tweens
Study Shows That Majority of Parents Restrict Who Can See Posts About Their Children
Teens Using Social Media to Self-Diagnose Mental Health Issues
What Is Sammy’s Law? A Step Toward Safer Social Media for Kids
