15 yr old DD facetiming someone she's met on TikTok - is this the normal way nowadays to meet new friends?

[KatpissEverdeen]

Don't know if I'm being paranoid/overprotective here.

Heard DD talking to someone in her room last night - no big deal as she's often online with friends.

Casually asked her before bed, who she'd been chatting to and she told me she's befriended another 15 yr old girl in ireland.

DD is a mega fangirl of a popstar and I know she's part of social media groups related to this person, so I think this is where this has probably grown from.

However, I went in at the deep end a little and told her I wasn't happy with her having face to face conversations with people she only knows online. DD relied that they have facetimed quite a bit and that she can physically see that this is a similar aged girl - not some creepy individual posing as someone younger.

I said we'd talk about it further today, but how would you feel about this? Is this the norm now for meeting people with similar interests? I know that the landscape of social interaction is completely different to what it was when I was 15, but something about it is bothering me and I need some perspective from other parents!

Can you sit in on a conversation? Even if in the background out of sight, and just listen in.

Hmm. Not sure on this one tbh. She's nearly 16 and I do want to respect her privacy so would rather I try and encourage openness. However, I know what I was like at 15, and open with my parents I wasn't!

I think yes it's normal. It's quite nice in a way, they have a chance at a much bigger and wider spread friendship than we had. They're FaceTiming, so she can see who she is, so because of this, it's no different to meeting a new friend anywhere face to face.
Why would you need to sit in? That would be the thirty years ago equivalent to following your dd to the park, her meeting a friend of a friend for the first time, then eavesdropping their conversation from behind a bush.
Obvo you'll have done the 'if someone is just typing and sending photos' chat that you don't know if they're lying, but face to face is fine.

I wouldn't do anything tbh. She's open with you, she could have lied and said it was someone from school and how would you know? Besides, it doesn't sound as though there is any harm in it.

Very normal at that age...she's 15 let her be!