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

i have to admit I worry lots when I see my young cousins on it.they are putting up post on Instagram that could be shared with anyone.then more of them and there mates.and then they hastag the posts so they are one click away from anyone finding these!
they are under the age limit too but simply lied to get on.and there parents are knowledgable to help them keep safe and limited in their profiles.
I think whateve rthey do they will do in secret if they gt it in their minds.its also about at home and being open and honest and letting them know they can come to you with whatever they need to.
let it be known that as "annoying"as it is you love them,your the adult so at some point you might want to ask lots of question or see what they are looking through.
make sure you do stuff outside of online.it can be very easy to get sucked into the online world.you lose reality with that.
they have to ask permission to download apps.
in conversation make it open.talk about what they looking at.dont make it a "thing" make online part of life if they are I nthat way inclined but open with it so its not some big thing to be kept secret or hidden from eactoher.
teach them how to put private functions on social media sites.it can ebe tricky and embaressing to ask if they think they need to feel tech savvie

My children use Youtube every day, as they watch videos posted by their favourite bloggers.

I only allow them to have their technology in the livingroom where I can keep an eye over them, and find that by taking an interest in who and what they are watching they are keen to share.

As they get a bit older I intend on installing an app to screen what they use/see.

The iPlayer is most used by my daughter. Bing has saved us on many journeys and helped us to avoid many tantrums

My 13 year old son is a You Tube addict, gets all sorts of daft ideas from it that he shows me and I have to admit I really don't get half of them!!

My child uses the following apps
Mine craft
Lazoo
Pocket phonics
Jet pack
YouTube Kids
Netflix
BBC I player kids

I've got parental control settings on her tablet, plus she has limited time on it. I also insist upon her using it without headphones; that way j can keep an eye and ear on what she's doing.

Dd4 has a parental controlled kindle. But ds10 has a ps3 which when he is playing minecraft or plants v zombies is online. I really really need to look in to this more as the other day he shouted from bedroom "mummy someone is talking in German through their speaker to me!" and I had NO idea that could even happen. Dear Lord.

My 12 year old has a Facebook account and I am friends with her and have access to her devices to also check what she is doing. She also has instgram and snapchat.

I use facebook and mumsnet

My DC is a little too young to be using the computer or iPad at the moment butI am going to ensure that they have as little access to it as possible. I think things like YouTube are okay (with supervision) but I think that social media is something that should be restricted until they are a teenager. I have a godchild who has just started secondary school and who is active on instagram and it's clear how much pressure there is on her to get comments from her friends and that kind of thing. Let kids be kids for as long as possible!

Our 7 year old has child-friendly apps and age appropriate xbox games on the family console. I ALWAYS make sure that they arn't "online" games where he could communicate with other people online as i worry about what he might see or been contacted by. I read about an online app called Roblox which has seen children being groomed via messages by adults. That really worried me! He asks if we can download it, as some friends at school use it, but its a firm NO from us.

No children, so no problems :D

No social media before 13, definitely

All of mine are teenagers now but when they were small they used Roblox, Moshi Monsters, Club Penguin etc on computers but never really used apps. They are very savvy with regards to safety though. Between us and school plus what they see on TV they have had a very good grounding on understanding that people online could pretend to be anybody.

My child is very advanced when it comes to computers, he knows a lot, even the teachers can't believe it! Anyway he does have accounts on facebook, instagram etc, and so do I, so I keep an eye on him. I also have a check through his accounts every now and then to have a nosy who he has been talking to etc, and I have a word with him if there is anything worrying.
Of course I regularly remind him about safety on the internet such as not giving out phone numbers, addresses, never arranging to meet anyone, and to remember that people aren't always who they say they are!

Many apps are so community focused now it seems you can't fully utilise an apps features without chatting, playing against or following others. We have, what we feel are appropriate parental controls set with our broadband provider and have also advised our 10 year old not to use message boards or accept friend requests etc without checking with us first. Certainly no messaging at the moment either. It's a tricky balance to get right especially as tech in apps moves so fast.

It's fairly easy to monitor what very young kids are doing on their devices, but it's much more difficult as they get older. DS1 could get round parental controls on his computer at a very young age. Once they have their own phones and are at secondary school, it's all about hoping you've drummed the safety stuff into them enough.

I don't really use them much myself so I think that helps stop the kids from wanting to use them.

my 9 year old son plays minecraft but isnt allowed on any social media sites like facebook or instagram!

our kids have limited screentime but love apps like subway surfer and youtube! we do have parental controls on their devices so we can monitor what they access to.

youtube

my eldest who is 10 uses it for games mostly followed by snapchat.

We have removed the youtube app and replaced it with youtube kids as i was finding more and more inappropriate videos being watched! Kidsyoutube is great :)

My girls barely use any apps. The only one I have is Kidoland app :)

They share their mum's love of Snapchat. They don't have their own accounts or anything but the filters making funny photos is what they use. Even their mum doesn't share them how you're supposed to share them using snapchat, it's just see them, laugh and move on (saving a few to send to granny).

It gets a lot more stressful as they get older. I refused to let my daughter have facebook until she was 13 and then I made her show me it every now and again. I check she is only friends with family and children she knows. We discussed not giving out information on line or talking to people she doesn't know and the reasons why. I had a male work mate try to add her on fb and message her saying hi and she was good and came and told me. It might be sneaky but it made me feel better. XX