Social media and phones- advice on what's age appropriate

[Haireverywhere]

Hello.

Tech phobe here apart from Google, what's app and MN.

What age do you think it's appropriate to have a phone set up for

1. Receiving and making calls and texts?
2. What's app only with friends?
3. Social media such as Twitter and Musical.ly?

I am being told that other parents are allowing more than me and I'm out of touch. That could indeed be true but I don't care and Twitter and FB are a no at the minute! I would need to get more clued up before allowing some of the requests anyway.

My oldest DD who is 14, pretty much has free reign on her phone, I've told her I'm trusting her to be sensible, I think at her age, she's entitled to privacy.

Youngest DD who is 11, had her phone at the beginning of this month when she started secondary school. She is allowed to text, call and Facetime her friends, I haven't allowed WhatsApp/Musicly etc. yet. I take her phone off her every night at 8pm, and keep it in my room overnight. I also read through her phone every few days, just to make sure that her conversations are appropriate, and she hasn't googled anything she shouldn't be.

Thank you. Can you recommend any resources you used with your eldest about online safety and grooming?

I am very twitchy after an incident at DD school after a stranger (turned out he was 17) was added to a what's app group by one child and started trying to get some of the kids to meet up.

I've spoken to her at length, her school also runs internet safety meetings every term.

She's a pretty sensible kid, and I do trust her (hoping she never proves me wrong) I allowed her to open a Facebook account a few months ago (I set it up, sorted privacy, and know the password) but she finds it boring, and only tends to pop on there once a week.

I also have their phones set to not allow content for over 18's.

How old is your DC?

13 and totally oblivious to stranger danger online so is only allowed a phone for calls and texts atm.

Could not understand at all when I said that if some of your friends say a person online is their 'friend', it still makes them still a stranger. I need to find some resources as the school do things too but obviously not enough or pitched at the right level for this incident to have happened.

The CEOP website has age appropriate videos. Also tell your dc when there are items in the news about online grooming or bullying so you build her awareness and street smarts.

Great thank you for those ideas!