REFOG Blog Login

Harmful Content

Our articles on harmful content and the algorithm — what the feed pushes toward a vulnerable teen, and how to blunt it.

Read the full Harmful Content guide →
A folded paper key ring holding many small blank paper keys of different shapes
Harmful Content August 24, 2026 16 min read

Emoji Meanings Parents Should Know (Incl. Warning Signs)

Which teen emoji meanings are actually documented, which are recycled guesswork, and what the research says parents should be watching instead of symbols.

Read guide →
A folded paper seesaw balancing two blank number tiles between its tipping ends
Harmful Content August 13, 2026 12 min read

What Does "6 7" Mean? Decoding the Viral Number

What does "6 7" mean? It's deliberately meaningless "brainrot" slang — Dictionary.com's 2025 Word of the Year. Where it came from, and whether parents should worry.

Read guide →
A worn paper dictionary sprouting bright folded speech bubbles from its open pages
Harmful Content August 3, 2026 17 min read

Gen Alpha Slang: A Parent's Living Dictionary

A parent's living dictionary of Gen Alpha slang — sorted by risk, from harmless brainrot to the coded words worth a calm conversation, with what to actually say.

Read guide →
An endless ribbon of paper unspooling into a loose spiral over layered slate-blue folds
Harmful Content July 27, 2026 16 min read

"Brain Rot" and Compulsive Scrolling: What's Real, What's Slang, and What Helps

"Brain rot" is teen slang, not a diagnosis — but compulsive scrolling is real. What the science shows, the six signs that matter, and how to fight the design, not your teen.

Read guide →
A folded paper heart half-submerged beneath layered waves of dark blue paper
Harmful Content July 20, 2026 13 min read

Social Media, Anxiety and Depression in Teenagers: Reading the Signs and Acting on Them

Worried social media is feeding your teen's anxiety or depression? How to read the signs, which five mechanisms do the real damage, and a two-week reset plan that helps.

Read guide →
A paper balance scale weighing a small sun against a small storm cloud on slate-blue paper
Harmful Content July 1, 2026 12 min read

Is Social Media Bad for Teens? A Balanced, Evidence-Based Answer

Is social media bad for teens? The honest answer is “it depends.” A calm, evidence-based look at the real harms, the real benefits, and how to judge your own teen.

Read guide →
A single paper sieve letting one shape fall through, holding back a scatter of others
Harmful Content June 17, 2026 13 min read

How Social Media Algorithms Decide What Your Teen Sees

A calm, evidence-based explainer for parents: how social media recommendation algorithms decide what your teen sees, why feeds narrow so fast, and how to steer them.

Read guide →
A single paper boat floating on a still pond beside a much larger paper wave
Harmful Content June 3, 2026 11 min read

Social Media and Teen Mental Health: What the Research Shows

A calm, evidence-based look at how social media affects teenagers — what the research supports, what it doesn't, who is most at risk, and what actually helps.

Read guide →
A paper funnel drawing a single object downward on a slate-blue painted backdrop
Harmful Content April 30, 2026 23 min read

Harmful Content and the Algorithm: Protecting a Vulnerable Teen From What the Feed Delivers

The problem is not how long your teen spends scrolling — it is what the algorithm decides to show them. A calm, evidence-based guide for parents.

Read guide →