How have your kids reacted to the social media thing?

[Lifeisntasglowyanymore]

My Dd is still v young and i’m over the moon about the ban and that she won’t get to see all that crap until 16 plus. But how about if you have kids already on it all? Are they panicking?
Also, does this include YouTube? So kids cannot watch until 16, under no circumstances? (i’m very glad of this as hate it!) but how will it all ne policed?

I think the focus right now is on the immediate impact of young people that have had SM and Smartphones for years. The real impact will be seen in the lives of 4,5,6 + year olds going forward. I am hopeful!

They will still be able to view YouTube if they aren't logged in., they just won't have their own account. This is what my older dc do already so no change...which is just as well for the useful revision resources etc.

Me too

You want them to carry on watching it?

Some stuff on YouTube is just regular TV programmes.
Nothing wrong with watching those.
Parents just need to actually monitor what their children are watching.
Like most do with regular TV.

You tube kids is excluded.

You tube has lots of helpful content that parents can consider for supervised access. Just as schools do currently.

apps though is where the legislation will hit hardest, to stop presenting high risk content to under 16s, or for smartphone manufactures to block apps being downloaded when the phone is registered to a child. If it can’t be made safe, it is banned.

there are different ways the tech firms will need to review, and the legislation isn’t drawn yet.

Most is crap for younger kids especially and with shorts and influencers all coming up, awful

power up opera browser and vpn, the companies are abroad so youll still get to log in as normal etc

If that's what you click on to watch then that's what you will see.
Top tip....just don't click on those.

My eldest is 11, he’s not bothered about most of it as he knows he won’t be allowed social media anyway, but the YouTube one he thinks is weird, they use it in school. There is a lot of crap on YouTube but also plenty of normal content like you’d find on any streaming service. Yet Roblox can carry on, which is where all the online bullying currently happens at my kids school 🤷‍♀️ (my children do not use Roblox)

But they do, they all want to see it and then there’s huge arguments and I need to shut it all down, we’re just not doing it

Are they banning it completely in schools?

I personally find it insane that they’d have it in schools

Why? Do you really think every video on YouTube is harmful? The school has its own YouTube page, my kids Covid nativity is on it. And various other videos from the school, although it’s less active now they’ve moved to a school app. There’s plenty of educational content on YouTube and when controlled by teachers it’s as good as any other video resource.

I can’t see in the news if they’ve given details. But it’d be very hypocritical to ban it for under 16s but then allow it in schools.

That's down to you unfortunately.
Just because some people can't find the off switch doesn't mean it should be banned for those that can.

When my daughter was at primary school (7 years ago) sometimes her teacher would search (using the smart board which is essentially a large computer screen) for things like a Horrible History song or a David Attenborough clip.
Sometimes those clips were via YouTube.

We had this just the other week. There’s absolutely loads of important educational content on YouTube which really enhances understanding in lessons. Teachers are professionals and know what they’re doing. They’re not just showing any old nonsense.

YouTube has some great stuff! DS1 watches endless wild camping/ parkour/ free climbing stuff (Although I suppose that could be encouraging him to literally jump off a cliff! 😬). I've watched some of Storra's videos with him and I think they're great!

DS2 watches drawing, piano and Scratch (coding) tutorials.

My GC will carry on watching it. We aren't television watchers, so the children got Ipads and tended to watch short videos. We've just rewatched, Idiot abroad, with my 11 year old GC. She watches educational stuff. My 8 year old GC loves misheard lyrics, we watch a lot of animal videos. She has sensory issues and watches funny kitten videos while I do her hair. Explain the harm.

My 13 year old just shrugged and said his friend group will move to WhatsApp from Snapchat next year. He doesn’t have other social media and is only allowed to watch YouTube in the living room where we can monitor what he’s watching - mostly football stuff and history channels.
He has been asking about having TikTok for the last 6 months which we haven’t allowed and he’s accepted that so I don’t think he’s too bothered.

My kids and their friends don't care. It won't really affect them. Who do you think will "ban" them exactly?

The content might change eventually and go onto other platform. Most kids have parents who already monitor what they do.

Whatsapp is 13, kids are on it much younger. At worst, they use their parents phone.

I don't think the "ban" will be what you think it is.

Ds1 will be 16 by the time it comes into force anyway.

Ds2 thinks they'll be a work around and he's not too bothered. He's probably right tbh, I don't see how this can be properly policed. Won't they just use accounts of parents or older siblings or VPNs or move to other apps that are not regulated.

why, you think that the teachers put some inappropriate content and leave the classroom?

Are you so upset about tv in general, or have you got some personal issue with youtube? A lot of the content is fine?

My sons are 11. One is beside himself as he is apparently the only one in his entire school who doesn't have Snapchat or Tik Tok, and now will have to wait even longer. He's far too immature to deal with that sort of social media. He's one of the youngest at his secondary school, and ND to boot, so I want to keep him away from that sort of SM for as long as possible.
YouTube I'm a bit unsure about. Both boys love it. One boy uses it primarily to watch videos about football. He does watch some nonsense, but his account is linked to mine, so I know what he watches. My other son is autistic with profound learning disabilities and loves things like nursery rhymes and Super Simple Songs. I don't think I'd stop them watching it as long as it's done through my account.