Protecting Our Children: Why Deleting Their Social Media Accounts is a Must

Schools in Israel, the UK, and the US are urging parents to remove social media apps from their children's phones due to fears that Hamas militants may share distressing videos of recently abducted hostages. A parents' association in Tel Aviv expressed concerns that videos where hostages plead for their lives may appear on social media platforms. As a precautionary measure, the association sent a message to parents, requesting them to delete apps like TikTok from their children's devices.

"We cannot tolerate our children witnessing such content. Moreover, containing the vast amount of such material on social media seems unfeasible," as stated by the parents association. "We appreciate your comprehension and collaboration."

In case Israel carries out actions in Gaza without prior notice, Hamas has issued a cautionary statement that they will share videos depicting the killing of captives via social media.

The concern is that terrorists may manipulate social media algorithms to target videos towards followers of Jewish or Israeli influencers, intending to engage in psychological warfare on Israelis, Jews, and their global supporters. On Saturday, during the offensive, armed Hamas militants crossed the heavily fortified border into Israel, capturing around 150 hostages, including Israeli army officers, and taking them back to Gaza. These unexpected attacks resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 individuals, as reported by the Israel Defense Forces, and left thousands more injured.

Since the commencement of airstrikes by Israel on the Palestinian enclave on Saturday, the Palestinian health ministry reports that the death toll in Gaza has risen to 1,055, with numerous children, women, and entire families among the casualties. As of Wednesday, an additional 5,184 individuals have been injured.

Smoke rises after Israeli strikes on the seaport of Gaza City, in Gaza, October 10, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Mohammed Salem/Reuters

Israel establishes emergency government and intensifies Gaza offensive in response to the horrifying acts of violence perpetrated by Hamas. In addition, certain Jewish schools in the US are requesting parents to refrain from sharing any videos or images related to the conflict and cautioning against allowing children, as well as themselves, from viewing such content. Furthermore, these schools are advising community members to temporarily uninstall their social media applications until the situation improves.

The head of a school in New Jersey sent an email urging parents to disable social media apps like Instagram, X, and Tiktok from their children's phones. This action is being taken in conjunction with other Jewish day schools to address the flow of graphic and often misleading information that is fueling the fears of students. Additionally, parents are encouraged to have regular discussions with their children about the dangers of these platforms and inquire about what they are seeing, regardless of whether the most unfiltered apps have been deleted from their phones. In a similar vein, a school in the UK requested that students delete their social media apps during a safety assembly.

TikTok, Instagram, and X - previously known as Twitter - have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding their efforts in addressing the rise of online video posts and schools' requests for parents to delete these apps.

However, X mentioned on its platform that it has observed a surge in daily active users in conflict-ridden areas. Its escalation teams have taken action on tens of thousands of posts that contain graphic media, violent speech, and hateful behavior. Further details or clarification on the term "actioned" were not provided upon request.

"We are also actively monitoring for any instances of anti-Semitic speech as part of our comprehensive efforts," stated X's safety team. "Furthermore, we have taken decisive measures to eliminate numerous accounts that sought to manipulate popular topics."

The company emphasized its unwavering commitment to enforcing the platform's rules and advised users to manage the exposure to potentially sensitive media by accessing the "Content you see" option in Settings.

Misinformation continues to spread widely on social media platforms such as X. A post with the hashtag #PalestineUnderAttack, which received over 500,000 views, falsely depicted an airplane being shot down. However, it was later clarified in a "community note" that the clip was actually from the video game Arma 3.

The video, which allegedly depicted Israeli generals captured by Hamas fighters, had received over 1.7 million views by Monday. However, it was later discovered that the video actually showcased the detention of separatists in Azerbaijan.

In response to the disinformation spread on X during the Israel-Hamas conflict, the European Union issued a warning to Elon Musk, stating that there would be "penalties" for such actions.

The EU notified Meta CEO Zuckerberg about a significant increase in disinformation on its platforms, including Facebook, and urged the company to provide a response within 24 hours outlining its strategy to address the problem.

In a Tuesday Instagram story, Zuckerberg labeled the attack as "pure evil" and emphasized that his priority is ensuring the safety of employees and their families in Israel and the surrounding region.

CNNs Elliott Gotkine contributed to this report.