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Original poster

8 year old daughter got access to Instagram

21 replies

Boomerwang · 06/05/2020 16:27

Hi I'd like to know if I should be worried that my kid got her dad to make her an Instagram account. I don't know much about Instagram as I don't use it, but could any of you tell me if it's the sort of thing she shouldn't be using? Aren't there glamour models on there in next to nothing?

Thank you

OP posts:
MonkeyJunk · 06/05/2020 16:32

Fine to use with constant adult supervision right next to her watching what she is doing.

Not fine to have an account and free reign on it, no.

avroroad · 06/05/2020 16:34

I would be more worried about paedophiles on social media than a glamour model. Why does an 8 year old need instagram?

Ginfilledcats · 06/05/2020 16:36

Lol yes there are glamour models on there. If you search for them. Chances are she will be looking at animals and tik toks. However they are easily accessed. Just google Instagram and you can have a look about for free.

But fundamentally no she should not be using as I'm sure it's 13+. But at your discretion

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8 year olds
MilkNoSugars · 06/05/2020 16:37

No she should not be on instagram at age 8.

It's not suitable for kids so young, she could be posting anything and looking at anything (including models like you say). And she could be contacted by anyone.

There's a reason users have to be age 13+.

doadeer · 06/05/2020 16:39

At some point she will want to be on this... It's worth making sure you understand how it works now so you understand how to safeguard. I don't think parents can opt out of tech these days.

In this case... What is it she wants to look at?

MimiSunshine · 06/05/2020 16:41

Bare minimum I would download the app and have her account logged in on your phone.
But no, I wouldn’t let my 8yr old have Instagram. Why does she even need it?
The filters that ‘beautify’ you aren’t obvious to a child and the odd time I use them for the dog ear ones my little girl finds hilarious make me feel a bit shitty about myself so a child is going to be damaged by seeing “perfect” faces on there which no one in reality can live up to. Same for snapchat.

Honeybee85 · 06/05/2020 16:44

I would be worried about the message that insta is sending to a very young girl.
Instagram is known to make a lot of grown women very insecure because of the perfect pictures you constantly see on there. I wouldn't want my daughter to use it at that age.

KLV49 · 06/05/2020 16:48

There is a private account option which all kids should use.

My daughter opened one at 12, at school in a PE lesson, for 'this girl can' campaign -and was instantly followed by loads of creeps. Instagram had her choose a name with lots of x's and o's in it: a signal to sex-fiends. She closed it again within a week.

Another warning is that if kids change their email or forget their passwords, they can end up opening loads of accounts and forgotten about them. Bad digital hygiene. I have a kid who does this.

CodenameVillanelle · 06/05/2020 16:52

There's just no need for her to have it. What was her dad thinking?

Lostvoiced · 06/05/2020 17:37

I think you're not supposed to use instagram under the age of 13, though I'm sure that gets ignored.

I don't think its suitable at all for an 8 year old. I know that I read that some kid (I think she was an activist or slightly famous in some way?) on there has to have her account totally moderated by her mum because men try to send her private messages. 🤢

Original poster
Boomerwang · 06/05/2020 18:39

Thanks for your views. I had an argument with her about it today as I told her I didn't want her to use it, specifically as she told me she posted a picture of herself on it. I've told her many times to never, EVER put a picture of herself on the internet, anywhere (she likes tiktok a lot) and she agreed, until today. I upset her with my fears. We've since made up, but I'm going to delete her account and tell her father.

Thanks again.

OP posts:
heartsonacake · 06/05/2020 18:41

Of course she shouldn’t be using it; Instagram has an age limit of 13 to be able to open an account.

Original poster
Boomerwang · 07/05/2020 03:53

She came up to me and asked if I definitely wanted her to uninstall the app. I said I did. She uninstalled it in front of me and sulked but we made up. I'll check her phone periodically. She's started to use roblox more for chatting than playing games. That one has a strict filter but she will no doubt move the chatting to other platforms. Gah.

OP posts:
heartyrebel · 07/05/2020 04:13

it's far too young, there is a LOT of sexual content on there, not to mention all the photo editing the 'instagram models' do to their pics.
check out this tik tok 'star' who is using video editing software to create this impossible sized waist that all her young girl fans are coveting

www.tiktok.com/@camilabarrientoss1 (remove asterix from the link)

grey12 · 07/05/2020 05:11

HELL NO!!

Original poster
Boomerwang · 07/05/2020 20:23

Disgusting.

OP posts:
heartyrebel · 07/05/2020 20:46

I think you need to show that to your daughter's dad.

ScreamingKid · 07/05/2020 23:33

Just uninstall it yourself. And tiktok,it's not difficulr shes 8 not 18.

ScreamingKid · 07/05/2020 23:34

And maybe take the phone off her until she's older. She clearly isn't mature enough.

LesleysChestnutBob · 07/05/2020 23:38

I'll check her phone periodically. She's started to use roblox more for chatting than playing games. That one has a strict filter but she will no doubt move the chatting to other platforms. Gah.

You're acting like you have no say in this at all - your 8 year old child does not need a smartphone with unfettered access to the Internet. She has no business chatting to random people on the Internet at all.

This is such a weird thread. Take the smartphone off her and give her a basic phone that calls and texts

ScreamingKid · 08/05/2020 08:44

No 8 year old needs a phone.

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