New Study Finds Teens Sharing Their Passwords

Some couples in love share everything — from food off each other’s plates to toothbrushes (ugh), and apparently even their passwords. A friend of mine just ended a relationship that had a disastrous event that could have easily been prevented. His ex logged into his Facebook account and posted all sorts of nasty things — posing as him. How did she get his password you ask? Easy. He gave it to her when they were dating.

It’s not that surprising to me that couples do this despite the obvious risks. Many couples are trying to prove they have nothing to hide from the other person. A recent Pew Internet study reported that 30 percent – nearly one-third of teenagers have shared an online password with a friend, a girlfriend, or boyfriend. The study concluded that “while some passwords may be guarded by some youth, password sharing among peers can be a sign of trust and intimacy”.

My friend isn’t a teenager, but he was in love and didn’t see anything wrong with sharing that Facebook login. No one ever thinks they are going to break up, get divorced, or meet someone new, but it happens. If a jilted person has your email, online banking or Facebook passwords,  they can do major damage too daunting to even think about.

It’s important to keep your passwords private. It’s also up to us to explain to our children the importance of this, as well as the possible repercussions if they don’t. Let your children see you taking responsible steps to protect your own identity. Download a password manager like Chica Password Manager to keep all your logins, passwords and personal information encrypted and safe, and encourage your child to do the same when they get their own Facebook and other accounts. It’s important for them to learn from the start that they, and they alone, are responsible for safeguarding their personal information.

Have you ever shared your password?