DS wants Instagram - Good idea or not?

[missmoffatt2705]

I do not own a smartphone and am quite happy with my old Nokia. My DS who is 9 wants an instagram account - he does not have a phone but thinks he can run the account on his tablet. What are the potential downsides of him having instagram and can he have one on his tablet? Lots of his friends, or so he says, have an account and he is feeling left out.

[christinarossetti]

I think you're meant to be 13 to have an Instagram acount.

[Helenluvsrob]

At 9. Nope. What doers he want it for? does he even know?

If he wants an account and I were to agree, it would be my account in my name and I would see everything . However, particularly as you don't know about it ( and don't even own a means of monitoring it easily day to day) I think your answers should be a polite version of " if X's mum let him jump off a pier would I let you?"

It is not true that all kids have access to social media. If you hand out on the preteens/teens forum here you will realise that kids get into terrible problems with monotonous regularity with facebook/instagram/snapchat etc

In the nicest possible way also upskill your teccy knowledge before he hits the age where he's going off to the library and making accounts that you don't even know exist.

[NellysKnickers]

Ds1 is 10 and has one. I check it through his log in a couple of times a week and I block anyone I don't know or have never heard of before. Him and his mates just post photos of them doing stunts at the skatepark, but I still check his account regularly just to be safe.

[NellysKnickers]

I also completely go through his tablet checking what's on there etc. I'm very nosy We also have close friends who are police officers who have given him an Internet safety talk.