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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Social Media Yr6

36 replies

Lifechallenges · 04/01/2018 23:41

With all the recent BBC reports, chatting to parents at kids activities and a friend today with a Yr6 child I am trying to get my head round what is normal now for 10/11 year olds? My eldest is only 8 but time will fly past and she's already obsessed with phones and wanting her own. At our school they all seem to get phones / snap chat / instagram and whats app in Yr6. -- is that the norm? I did an NSPCC workshop that was a real eye opener... can anyone share thoughts?

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Original poster

Lifechallenges · 06/01/2018 20:24

I suspect it is. Its probably quite localised to. We are a big urban school where DC tend to be quite streetwise and lost of exposure to older siblings who ALL have phones.

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BrendansDanceShoes · 06/01/2018 21:20

Don't think it's a regional thing, more that if there are a high number of older siblings and parents that use social media, inevitably, as with everything else, that's what the younger kids think they must do.

Toomanycats99 · 06/01/2018 21:26

My dd is in y6 and has had a phone to play games on for about 2 years but I only put a sim in it about 6 months ago when she stared doing an activity in the library that I left her at. She has Pinterest and looks up pictures of Harry Potter and kittens / puppies!

She has no interest in anything else yet (even though one friend has instagram) however a few of her friends came back to school after Xmas having got phones and she has now swapped numbers and been texting them this weekend. I think that the next couple of months will be interesting as she may start to show an interest.

sparepantsandtoothbrush · 06/01/2018 21:36

My DD is a younger sibling but is definitely in the minority there. I use social media but DH isn't even on FB. I stand by my decision to let her have it as it's not a "forbidden fruit", we have a very open relationship and she always comes to me with any (rare) issues. I think because I've let her have access at a younger age she's more accepting of the fact that I will check any of her accounts at random. Her musically is synced to my phone so I get any comments sent to me as well as her. I'm on her Snapchat and Instagram so can see what she's posting

sparepantsandtoothbrush · 06/01/2018 21:37

I'm not saying my way is right. Only time will tell! I can't imagine many 13 year olds being happy with parents being linked to their accounts like DD is used to though

HeatherWeather · 07/01/2018 11:38

Ds is in Y6 and had my old iPhone when he turned 11.

He’s not on any social media, never asks tbh, he uses Whattsapp with a few of his friends and to chat to them while playing online games, nothing more really. I think the thought of owning a phone was far more amazing than the actual reality. He doesn’t use it that much.

I do know that at his school there were far greater issues with the girls in Y6, bullying being an issue with I ‘think’ snapchat being used.

I’m glad Ds has one in prep for secondary and he’s not on it all the time, probably because he’s online on the Xbox or laptop instead far more

HeatherWeather · 07/01/2018 11:41

Sorry, just realised I contradicted myself there.

I don’t view Whattsapp as social media really, it’s more an extension to his phone, enables free calls and texts and that’s it. He doesn’t use FB, Insta, Twitter etc which I Class more as SM

Original poster

Lifechallenges · 07/01/2018 21:12

I didn't class WA as SM, as adults I know tend to use it for e.g. Class info, sports teams lift shares etc as opposed to big group chats. I am on several groups but rarely ore than 10-20 adults linked to a sport club or school etc However at our school the yr6 had big WA social groups which some weren't on and then off course they feel left out or even worse, kids type things that they wouldn't say out loud... imagine if there's 15 girls in a class and 12 are on a WA group excluding the others etc

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cheminotte · 07/01/2018 21:46

Ds1 is in Y6 and got a phone for Xmas.
He's not interested in social media though - said he didn't want one with FB on. Just watches iplayer or BBC bitesize videos on it. He doesn't take it to school though.

sparepantsandtoothbrush · 08/01/2018 12:42

I don’t view Whattsapp as social media really, it’s more an extension to his phone, enables free calls and texts and that’s it

Of course it's social media! They can set up group chats, send photos and messages to each other. How is that not social media?

mintyneb · 08/01/2018 23:20

My Yr6 DD doesn't have a phone and has little interest in sm. Whilst she can be quite mature in many ways she wishes she could still play games with her friends at school but all they want to do now is hang around during breaks. Phones are banned during the school day but it just highlights how kids all grow up at different rates

Think the other friends all have phones now and a few in the class use Snapchat and Instagram. I can't imagine she's missing out on much not having a phone herself though

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