Israeli Schools Encourage Parents to Advise Their Children to Remove Instagram and TikTok

Multiple Israeli and Jewish schools have purportedly initiated efforts to encourage parents to take proactive measures by removing social media applications like Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly known as Twitter) from their children’s smartphones. This move aims to shield young users from potentially distressing and violent imagery associated with the Israel-Hamas conflict. As reported by CNN, the parents’ association of a Tel Aviv school raised concerns about the potential dissemination of graphic videos featuring hostages in distress, urging parents to be vigilant and minimize their children’s exposure to such content. This proactive approach reflects the schools’ commitment to ensuring the emotional well-being and safety of their students amidst a sensitive geopolitical context.

“We must ensure that our children are shielded from such content, as it is not only distressing but also exceedingly challenging — nearly impossible — to control the vast expanse of material on social media,” conveyed the message. It further expressed gratitude for the understanding and collaboration of parents in this endeavor. In the United States, several Jewish schools have reportedly issued parallel advisories, as per the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The source also noted that the origin of the information regarding potential hostage videos remained unclear.

Allegedly, the principal of The Frisch School in Paramus, New Jersey, has dispatched an email to parents, strongly advising them to promptly instruct their children to remove Instagram and TikTok from their devices. Moreover, numerous individuals have taken to platforms like X and Meta’s Threads real-time messaging service to share their own experiences of receiving similar notifications from schools. These messages emphasize the potential exposure of students to distressing content through social applications, raising concerns about their well-being and the need for vigilance in monitoring their online activities.

Aviva Klompas, a co-founder of the nonprofit organization Boundless Israel, recently conveyed a school’s message to parents via a post on X. The message raised concerns about the imminent release of distressing videos featuring hostages in dire situations. It urged parents to take action by promptly uninstalling the TikTok and Instagram apps from their children’s mobile phones to safeguard them from potential exposure to such content. This cautionary message reflects a proactive approach to ensure the emotional well-being and safety of young users in light of these concerns.

Journalist Joanna Stern posted on X, sharing messages from her Jewish high school and the local Jewish Community Center. These messages strongly recommended that parents consider removing X, Instagram, and TikTok due to the presence of “graphic and misleading information” on these platforms. One of the messages in Stern’s post also alluded to purported plans by Hamas to inundate these platforms with videos of captives. The message further underscored the importance of open conversations between parents and their children, advising parents to discuss the potential risks associated with these platforms and inquire about their children’s online experiences regularly, even if they have already removed the most unfiltered apps from their mobile devices. This proactive communication seeks to ensure a safer and more responsible online environment for young users in response to these concerns.

Simultaneously, Yair Rosenberg, a contributor to The Atlantic, shared a message on Threads wherein he disclosed having encountered an email from a prominent U.S. Jewish high school. The email advised parents to take action by instructing their children to remove TikTok and Instagram from their devices. The reasoning behind this was the anticipation of Hamas potentially posting videos depicting Israeli hostages in distress or even worse scenarios. Rosenberg noted that some videos portraying the taunting of hostage children were already in circulation. This precautionary measure aligns with the broader concerns surrounding the conflict. In a related development, President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Tuesday, acknowledging that Hamas is holding an unspecified number of Americans as hostages and that the ongoing conflict has tragically claimed the lives of at least 14 Americans.