To not let 13 year old have TT or SC

Exactly, so at some point it is the job of a parent to teach their child how to identify and block predators.

Yeah WhatsApp is still a thing "no teen uses WhatsApp" all the teens I know use it 🤷🏻‍♀️

What a stupid reason to allow a teen have sm because everyone else has it!

Snap chat is a blanket no in our house. My 16 yr old doesn't have it.
SC is a shit show. There are no safety features on it. Many are buying drugs on it and it's a bullies dream. Disappearing messages.

I'll be unpopular with my teens for awhile but it's my job to protect them and actually parent them.

Allowing them social media at a very young age teaches them nothing.

Although he does have some unkind friends. A few of DC's friends don't have any social media like that and don't get made fun of for it. One of my daughter's friends didn't get a phone till Year 11 and is only allowed Whatsapp.

You can set time limits on Tiktok and Snapchat to be honest. And if he only accepts his friends on Snapchat, it is not that bad.

However, it is your decision so could he not just say he doesn't want it? To avoid humiliation from his friends.

Here is a report about Roblox and child safeguarding
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/15/roblox-allegations-ofcom-online-safety-act
Who here has a child who plays Roblox who is even aware of the risks?

YANBU at all, OP. Our 17yo and 15yo have never had either of these. Only the 17yo is allowed WhatsApp and the 15yo isn't allowed a smartphone until 16yo.

No but it makes it too damn easy for them.

@SummerFeverVenice
No I don't.
They use every single platform that will allow them access to children. But parents seem unable or unwilling to not give their children smartphones. So yes, the predators will always win.

Smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk

Like the hundreds of thousands of other parents who've done this, I've signed the above pact to delay smartphones until year 9

Of course not but OP was asking about snap chat

Do you honestly think predators only use Snapchat?

Year 9 dd doesn't have Snapchat for the above reasons

What an awful, almost neglectful attitude to parenting!

DD 18 didn't get SC till y10 and still doesn't have TT. She has lovely friends and an active social life. I do not regret my decision to ban them at all - she could have had TT in y10 also if she wanted but it's such shite that once she'd tried it she felt it wasn't something she wanted to bother with so uninstalled it.

@Pixiedust49

Have a read of this. * https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crejr8grr01o*
Then have a think about whether children should have Snapchat.

I let all my children have all social media by the time they are 12. I know most on here will disagree but it works for us. For what it's worth, my 12 year old son never uses Whatsapp at all

I work with sexual offending, it's not something I'd allow for a 13 year old

Interested in this, my foster child is 17 and we keep agreeing to social media and then he gets into trouble on it so it gets removed, we talk about it and how to use it safely, he gets it back and we repeat the process. Been doing it for years. I don't want him left out, I also don't want him in trouble and able to manage social media. Never sure what to do for the best for him.

They are probably using WhatsApp to talk to him because he doesn't have anything else.

Neither of my older teenagers use WhatsApp with their friends, just for stuff like extra curriculars information.

He's your child so you have to decide what you think is best.

His ‘mates’ don’t sound very nice.

Neither of my DC had Snapchat. DS1 downloaded it last week (he’s 17). DS2 (15) doesn’t have it (but equally doesn’t like messaging for the sake of it). DC2 used to have instagram but started doomscrolling so after discussing it he decided to delete it.

I think it is good for them to try these things whilst you can still supervise and help them learn sensible usage. But I’m not keen on Snapchat - especially for Ds2 as they have a temper and can snap back at people if he feels they are intrusive.

You're protecting your son from sexual exploitation

Great so for fear of him being mocked on social media you are implementing some weirdo standard of WhatsApp is ok but anything else is not ok leading to him being mocked on social media. A spectacular backfire in parenting that is. You have caused that which you are trying to protect him from. Perhaps you should trust him to know how to navigate teen friendship groups? Novel idea isn’t it?

Why come on and ask? You already have become defensive when someone says you are wrong. Your DS is losing out on using
the main communication medium of teens SC, he’s being made fun of and possibly ostracised because of it.
it’s better to use the parental controls to limit the time and have proper discussions about how to navigate social media than it is to have an out right ban.
However TT has no uses and can be addictive, giving SC only would be a great compromise.

Like it or not they do use Snapchat to communicate. WhatsApp far less common for teens.

I’m with you OP. And we are not the only parents so our kids are not the only kids. I will be waiting as long as possible.