What social media (if any) does your DC have on their phone?

[shamelesshackney]

DD is about to turn 11 and will be getting a phone (it's my old one so will be an iphone). Lots of her friends have already got phones and are on Instagram, Snapchat and Tiktok. I've already told her no to Instagram and Snapchat but I don't really know what Tiktok is or does (I'm quite an old bird).

ALso what rules do you have around the phone? For me, ideally, it's more so I can make sure she's okay as she will need to start taking the bus to school in September for secondary, but I suspect for her it's something quite different.

TIA

Not letting her having snapchat will be quite isolating as it’s a easier way of texting ur friends, sending your friends messages etc. Instagram less so.
Tik tok is like vine . So little videos of people dancing / mouthing songs/ pranks etc. not too bad if annoying.

necesitodormirahora thanks - is there a social media aspect to Tik Tok?

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I would set very clear rules from the start i.e phones charge downstairs at bedtime.

Snap chat is fine if she just accepted her immediate friends (you can check her friends list).

Talk with your dd regularly about using social media appropriately.

I'd rather my dd have an account I can see and manage and support her with rather than a secret one or using friends accounts at school.

Mines has a tiktok and instagram. Friends aren't really on Snapchat so she doesn't have that yet.

I'm going with the reasoning that phones are a huge part of every day life these days and I'd rather she learned how to use it responsibly and come to me if she ever feels unsure or unsafe or uncomfortable. I do check it sometimes when she's in bed and it's mostly them all sending emojis to each other.

She's 9.

Ds 16 has Twitter, WhatsApp IG and FB. He only really uses twitter though.

Dd 12 - is not on any kind of social media.

Mine is 13. What's app only, I have said no to IG and after a brief go on Snapchat i made her delete it as the stuff that was being posted made me go grey - I am by no means a prude but FML it was a bit much for 12/13.

My 12 year old son has Instagram but it's linked to my account so I can keep a check on it. He's totally aware of this and it's part of the agreement we have. He knows that having a phone a privilege and we have set age restrictions on the internet etc and. The novelty of Instagram wore off though and the last thing he posted was in October 2018 which was a picture of the dog . He started walking to and from school in year 6 so we thought that him having a phone would be good thing for him and us. Also perfect for a quick "can you pick some milk up" text when he's on his way home 😂. Xx

My 13yo son has WhatsApp. He's not interested in any social media. I don't think WhatsApp is really 'proper' social media tho. My 11yo son also has WhatsApp and skype which he messages friends on. I check their phones. They both think Facebook is for middle aged people...

Great. Thanks for all of this.

DS age 12 in year 7 has no social media not even whats app. hes just not interested (but is not a social person in real life either)
DD age 10 in year 6 has Instagram and whatsapp as well as tiktok.
I follow her instagram so can see the instant she posts something and her tiktok is logged into my tablet so I can check that.

Our rules are:
we must always know the code to their phones and can check them at any time.
phones must stay downstairs at night time
must only follow people they know in real life and not follow adults eg SIL as shes in her 20s and lives in dubai and parties alot so not the sort of thing we or her want DD seeing. I do allow following of some gymnasts. and liekwise only accept follow requess from people they know in real life.
not post anything on the internet eg comment on youtube videos. and never to give your name or location, school etc

Mine has WhatsApp. Nagged and nagged for Instagram, I relented, he posted three silly photos, managed to log himself out, forgot the password and hasn't bothered with it since. Also has Discord but only uses that to chat to one friend with whom he plays an online driving game.

He's 12, and all of the above are on the understanding that his dad and I have full and unfettered access and can check all his messages at any time. We remind him regularly that he must never post anything if he wouldn't want screenshots of it shown on a big screen by his headmistress in assembly and read out to the entire school.

He has Instagram has litany of followers and has never posted a picture. He uses snap chat but as a way of chatting with friends I think. To be honest I don’t really look that much now. He will be 16 soon. So old enough for me not to think about it. But to be honest he is a good boy. No trouble ever. And is happy to hand his phone over if I was ever to ask. But I have never felt the need.

DD is 11 and has Instagram and snapchat. Instagram is linked to my iPad so I see all notifications, inboxes etc. Snapchat is more of a novelty thing. TiKToK is a big no no. I deleted it a while back after some guy wanted to know her name and where she lived (yes you can PM on there). I relented when all her friends started getting it but once again the messages kept coming and one of her friends tagged her in a self harm video as she thought it was "cool". So it was deleted again. I'm now the uncool mum with the uncool child because she doesn't have tiktok but I'm afraid that's the way it's staying!

I've seen snuff/cringe/porn on all of those

Tiktok is horrible

Not very conforming I suppose but that's reality. If they don't have the app they can see through private browsing/fb groups/ etc.

Thanks for this.