Social Media - what do you allow?

[FernieB]

I have twin 12 year old DD's who tell me that 'everyone is on Facebook except them'. I know this isn't true (from their friends' mums) but am wondering what everyone else allows.

Mine have their own email accounts and Skype ID's and have also recently started using Touch to message their friends. I have monitored the setting up of all of these to check the privacy settings and I do check the accounts to make sure they are not receiving/sending anything untoward. At the moment they have more access to this stuff than me - I don't use Facebook/Twitter etc and only rarely use Skype to speak to DH when he is overseas.

[molepom]

My DD has nothing and wont do for a long time yet.

Reason being that she has already been accused by kids for uploading videos on Youtube taking the mick and basically cyber bullying other children...

All of the other parents with the exception of one took this as gospal. The one parent who did ask me about now knows and has seen it for herself that DD doesnt even have an email address, let along youtube, FB, MS, MSN or anything else and even if she did...everything would be going through MY email account so I know what she's on as well as taking her laptop away each night and going through it with a fine toothcomb.

[tittytittyhanghang]

ds 11 uses facebook and xbox live, as do most of his friends. He uses xbox live mostly.

[BloooCowWonders]

Mine haven't asked yet but....
I was interested that a family I know doesn't allow Facebook for any of their teens as one parent is a secondary teacher who deals regularly with the vile fallout from Facebook.

Made me think carefully about what to do when the time comes.

[FernieB]

BloooCowWonders - I have seen one of their friends Facebook accounts (she was round at ours and logged on) and some of the stuff on there was nasty, so mine have been told they are not and will not be allowed. Twitter is also banned.

They have asked to upload stuff onto youtube but this is also banned - some of the comments people make on that site are awful.

[strugglingwiththepreteenbit]

my eleven year old has facebook and email. She has both dh and I added as friends and knows we monitor them. So far her use has been very sensible, although I have chatted to her about some silly things one of her friends posts from time to time. (videos of herself attempting to dance in a sexy fashion, celebrity gossip from rather dubious sources and "cursed" chain mail.)

[misstrunchball]

My DD2 has facebook and an email account and like the above poster has me and DH as friends. I also know her passwords and have told her I may monitor her fb at any time. I haven't as she often leaves it open on my laptop so can look at any time . My DD1 has fb and twitter and uses twitter more than anything else. Again, I know her passwords but as am friends with her on both see her posts on a regular basis. She is 15 so have had to have words re: swearing.... We had a problem when DD1 was in Y6 and MSN was all the rage where she was bullied but, I had, luckily set it up so it would show everything that was received. I copied it and gave it to the school who dealt with it very well.

If I were you I would set up my own Facebook account and see how it works then allow them to have one on the condition they are friends with you. I also told DD2 that she could not accept friend requests without going through me first and I must admit she only uses it for games and putting on photos of school friends.

[Smurfy1]

DSD 11 has an email address (which is linked to mine) she uses her dad's Skype as the age for that is 13 and thats it her laptop is set to switch off her access at 1900hrs and at set points throughout the day

Her mobile phone is also monitored and linked to mine account online

DSD knows and understands that she won't get anything she is underage for ie facebook

[Beanbagz]

My DD (10) has her own email account to keep in touch with friends & family abroad. However it comes through to my desktop computer so she has to ask to use email and knows i could read it if i wanted (i don't).

Apart from that she uses my Skype account to talk to DH when he's working abroad or to talk to GPs.

No FB account allowed though a couple of her classmates already have them. She doesn't seem interested in it at the moment.

She doesn't have a phone either though we have promised to get her one for her 11th birthday.

[emmmmmmmm]

my soon to be 12 year old DS does not have facebook and won't until he is at least 13. he does have an email address that he uses for nintendo club, but as above i have the password. he also has a blackberry phone and i find i have to closely monitor BBM.