NSPCC want to know about the apps your kids use - share to win a £300 voucher.NOW CLOSED

[AmeliaMumsnet]

NSPCC says: “Most parents are brilliant at keeping their child safe in the physical world, through daily chats and reminders. It should be exactly the same in the online world too, so our #ShareAware campaign aims to get parents chatting to kids about their online lives, just like they would their day at school.These chats are made much easier if Mums and Dads understand their child’s online world – what games they like and the apps they use - and we’d recommend that parents explore the games and sites their child likes, alongside them.

“So to help you, NSPCC and O2 have created Net Aware. This site (and app) provides an overview of nearly 40 of the most popular apps and games used by young people. Our site and app will give the official age and the age which parents and young people think it’s appropriate for. It also provides tips from O2 Gurus on a range of topics, including privacy settings to adjust and the chance of risky content. For more information, you can visit Net Aware or download the Net Aware app on iOS or Android.”

Did you know that 1 in 4 8-11 year olds have a social networking account, despite the minimum age for most being 13? It can be difficult to understand your DC’s activity on games and apps, especially if you don’t know how to use them yourself. That’s why NSPCC want to know about the apps and games your DC use, and how you make sure they’re staying safe. Post on this thread with your hints and tips for talking about DC’s use of apps and you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 voucher of your choice (from a list).
Whether you think Minecraft is a minefield, or you’re a pro Snapchatter, NSPCC want to know how involved you are with your DC’s apps and games. Post on the thread with your views about apps, whether or not you use them yourself, and share your tips for making sure your DC is using them safely.

One lucky MNer who posts on this thread will be randomly selected to win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks so much for taking part, and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

We don't have a smartphone or tablet so apps aren't used at all in our house - sorry!

DS(11) only has Minecraft as an app. His Youtube and Roblox access are limited to the family computer so we can see exactly what he is accessing. We have Norton Family, and logs/history is checked regularly

Dd 17 has Twitter and an iphone. She's sensible, so I don't need to monitor her activity.

Ds 12 isn't allowed to use social media. However, he had a Pc and Tablet in his room, both with parental controls. Currently he is obsessed with Youtube, and Minecraft!

My eldest - loves you tube for kids and sky kids.

I'm as lax as the wonderfully named TheresaMustGo. My two use a range of tablets including an Ipad but they mostly play on Android tablets, and they use my computer when I'm out. They have far too much screen time, like their parents! They are mostly in the room although DS2 sits on the stairs next to the power sockets when things run out of charge. The ones in here are very inaccessible. They play logged in as DP.

DS1 (10) plays Dragon Evolution, Battlecats, Roblox and several others. He's been reading Beast Quest books recently and has found a related game. But he does various other things, like a football session once a week, Chess Club and Woodcraft Folk, and he enjoys going to the park. Just now he's watching TV without using a tablet or anything.

DS2 (8) loves Roblox and Battlecats and other games, and he also watches Youtube videos about games and chatters about them. He's obsessed with everything Pokemon and has tshirts, a small rucksack, books. It can be difficult to detach him but he does also go to Chess Club and Woodcraft Folk and play in the park. They both also go out in school holidays with my father and do other stuff offline.

DS1 (13) has had instagram fro the past 2 years and What'sApp this year. I monitor his instagram account through being a follower, and limit his access to all apps through KidsLock, an app which allows me to set daily limits and schedules on his phone.

DS2 (8) has an iPod which he uses only on holiday and he only uses it to play Minecraft. However, it also is controlled by KidsLock so I can limit his daily screen time.

My 4yo uses games apps like Sarah and Duck, Peppa Pig and CBeebies. She's only allowed to watch YouTube supervised, and we are always in the room when she's playing on the tablet.

My nearly three year old loves playing games on my iPad. I try and supervise her all the time and she doesn't know how to download new games yet so that's good. Her current favourite is 'Ice Queens' where you do the make up, hair and styling on pretty cartoon girls. She calls them fairies.

Mine has no personal access to apps. (Age 7)

I know that she knows what snapchat is as she's played with it with her aunts.

We watch some youtube content together. Mixture of travel vloggers, science and cute stuff.

My 9 and 7 year old boys use a game about building dens with Lego type people it has a "chat" feature which I'm super scared of them using incase they get roped into conversation by adults so to warn them I showed them on there (unknowingly) how I could send them a message from " 7 yr old Danny" when actually it was me. They now understand its OK to say hi but not to give private info out or talk about "their bodys" and that's a 2nd help for when I can't watch them every 5 mins.

This sounds really useful. DD is 2 so we don't let her use many apps yet, although her gran downloads lots of toddler games for her to play when we visit. At home, she really enjoys watching a couple of specific Google Doodles and asks for them every time I have my laptop out. Other than that, it is downloaded music videos or YouTube. I'd not heard of the kids version of YouTube before this thread so will be getting that now.

YouTube kids

Even Youtube kids needs supervision, they can still come up with dodgy videos.

YouTube is the most popular app in this house, it's only allowed downstairs when an adult is in the room and unfortunately for us the volume has to be high enough that we can hear it. It's so easy to go from a suitable video to a totally inappropriate video in one click

DS is nearly 4. He uses YouTube under my supervision, Skype, and has three games he uses: Thomas the Tank Engine, Lego Animals and Toca Monster (in order of popularity).

DD 9yo has an iPad and a kindle, both with parental controls. She uses Netflix, You Tube, Sky Kids, Sky Go, Amazon TV, various games, Mathletics, Skype, Kindle.

I limit her screen time otherwise she would be on it 24/7 and ensure parental controls are set for everything.

I won't let her have Snapchat or anything that involves connecting with other people. She is connected to a couple of school friends.

My DD has an ipad but it has a passcode on that she doesn't know. She's only allowed on when a parent is in the room. She likes playing my little pony games and watching Cookie Swirl C on youtube!

My lad who is 8 doesn't have a standard social media account, though I wouldn't object to it as I know how to control access and monitor through my work. Some of the games he likes to play online are far more of a worry even when you check the right options for privacy. Overall though he's a sensible lad and knows to come and speak to us if he's unsure of anything but he also knows that I will check when I need to just to make sure all is OK.

i check their account weekly and talk to them about safety

DD always knows that at any point we can look at what she is doing, we have had chats about strangers and she keeps to the friends she has in the real world. Cam is only used to chat to these friends and is either covered with tape when not in use or switched off. She also has a smartphone and the same rules applies. Social media is limited to her friends and family, and if at any point she feels uncomfortable with anything that is posted to inform me and it is dealt with immediately. She does not accept friends requests from unknown people and I am a friend on her accounts.

My DS(7) loves Minecraft but only plays by himself not over a network. He loves You Tube and I have set up age restrictions and keep an ear out for what he is watching - I think it is all too easy to click from one video to another and end up watching something that you didn't intend to. He also likes Roblox which I have issues with but his dad (non-resident) lets him play it and I just hope that he monitors him as I ahve heard bad things about some of the users.

I don't use any of this type of technology myself & my 4 year old great niece doesn't have any type of game console at the moment. I am concerned that she will spend a lot of time on them when she gets older as her Daddy spends all his time playing on his phone instead of interacting with people

My son just uses you tube on his phone, but we do keep an eye on his activity online

All my children have iPads or tablets and they range from 2-19 my two oldest DDs use Twitter and Snapchat ,YouTube,Spotify,Netflix etc and I don't see any problems with them using these apps as long as they use them safely but my 3 youngest children are not allowed social media apps on their tablets but they do have Disney,Pokemon,CBeebies and games aimed at younger children the issues I have is my children have racked up a bill for buying extras on games as the tablet saved my card details but that was dealt with very quickly when I realised but I have to say kids can become very competitive with the younger children games which did cause an issue between two of my kids and some of there friends with the competiveness to buy extras on my Little pony and a few of the other game apps which caused a bit of a fall out between some of the children at the school which was bordering on bullying and that was just a child's game aimed at children of around 3 -7 years so in some aspects the children apps are just as bad as the social media apps or the more advanced gaming apps aimed at older children and adults as they can lead to bullying and pressures from other children.I now check every day to see what they have been doing so this doesn't happen again I do have a tablet myself and have a fair few of the same apps as my older children so I understand them quite well and I have tried my younger children's apps to see what they love so much about them have to say I don't really understand them but they like them and they only get an hour a day to play there games or watch there cartoons which I think is more than enough for young children

I have parental controls on DS tablet and am always in the same room as him when he's using it. He knows to let me know if anything inappropriate happens when using it, he loves Snapchat to stay in touch with friends and his elder sister who is away in University.