9yo and social media

[iloveyourhair]

DS has a huge interest in Lego, Lego coding, and robotics.

A few months ago, he asked if he could share his builds on social media. I told him no because I believe he is far too young and I explained the dangers of social media. He mentioned that his best friend uses it, and that mum allows him to. Since we are pretty close, I called her to verify this for safety reasons. She confirmed it was true and that she monitors her son's account. She also suggested that my son could add his content to her son's account, essentially proposing they have a joint account.

I thought it was a lovely suggestion, and shortly after our call, she sent me her son’s profile. He has managed to earn over 10K followers.

However, I wouldn't feel comfortable with my son's face being on social media, especially knowing that predators lurk online.

Yesterday, I found out that my son went ahead and created his own profile. Thankfully, he hasn’t posted any videos with his face in them, but he has gained over 1,300 followers in a short time.

I told him that I was very upset with him for creating the account without my permission. I don’t appreciate that he did this. I’m unsure how I missed it, as I check his iPad frequently, I am currently deciding whether to let him keep the account.

On the positive side, he hasn’t engaged with any profiles that comment on his posts, and he is a very sensible boy for his age.

Do you think I should let him keep the account and help him expand it, or should I delete it?

There are vast numbers of under 10s with open social media accounts sharing their journey in elite sport / music art etc etc
no privacy at all. It’s so sad. Some with thousands of random followers.

Can you not have an account in your name where you share his builds and you access it together and delete his account and not show any hands just the models.

You’re right. The likes thing is quite dangerous- I hadn’t thought of that.

Why on earth would you let a nine year old on social media?!

One million percent delete and not allow another one.
Also follow Mom unchartered on instagram if you doubt you did the right thing or not in deleting it.

If she let her child walk off a cliff would you?

Social media for a 9 year old is insane, actually any unmonitored internet use at that age, which is clearly has, is insane.

9 is far too young! The guys who run social media companies don't let their kids have social media. That tells me everything I need to know.

The fact that your nine year old can create an account on social media when there are age limits in place should tell you everything you need to know about why this is a terrible idea.

Why on earth would you want to expose your child to danger at this age (and I’m not talking pedos at this point).

The fact his friends parents allow their children to do it shows their naïveté. Absolutely no.

Wrong. It was a perfect analogy and social media for a child is just as dangerous.

And actually there is a link to young social
media users more likely to drino

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2021/apr/heavier-social-media-use-linked-more-frequent-drinking-young-people

I see what this poster was trying to say.
You don't allow your child to do something in your home, where you can manage/support/control it. So there is no way in hell I would be giving that power to another adult/home, especially given you definitely know their parenting decisions do not allign with your own.
You say you don't discipline him often, time to start. His actions here show he asked, you said no - so he ignores and does what he wants! If you don't stop and make a change now then the teen years will he very interesting for you.
Let him sulk, strop, etc. When he accepts the decision then make a decision that it is either absolutely no social media in your home or you have a page that you control on your phone that he can not access unless you are right next to him.
Time to decide the rules of your home and don't be swayed. Compromises can be reached for some things, but there must be hard lines for the things that matter to you- and no backing down!

You have a world of pain coming your way if you don’t grow a backbone. Teenagers are master manipulators. You are not his friend. You are his parent. It’s not meant to be an easy job.

I'd rather give my nine year old a glass of Prosecco every night than let him have a social media account. If I had to choose. Which I don't because my dc are completely used to me telling them no to things.