How do your teens use Instagram? Share with us for the chance to win a £300 voucher!

[EmmaMumsnet]

Instagram is now a huge part of our culture and is a staple for many teens (and adults alike!) whether they use it to share moments with their friends, run an account for your family pet, or simply to browse memes. We would like to find out how your teens use Instagram and what accounts you’d recommend for teenagers to follow?

Do your teenagers follow foodie, beauty, or music accounts for inspiration? Are they creative and use Instagram to share their own art or photography? Perhaps they are keen activists and use the platform to spread awareness and gain support for good causes?

Instagram have also pulled together this handy guide which explains all about the safety features you and your teens can use to make sure they are getting the best experience on Instagram.

Everyone who posts below will be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks

MNHQ

Terms and conditions apply

My teen ds uses it for selfies and chats with friends. 12 yr old dd not on it yet as uses WhatsApp instead. Older dd used to use it to communicate with friends but uses it much less now. Not caused any problems so far but they don’t seem that interested really.

DS has it mostly for following his passion for martial arts - gets updates and joins in discussion threads.

DD wants to get Instagram but I'm holding off for as long as possible as i think it's all more pressured for girls. She has Whatsapp for chatting with friends and that's enough SM for now!

My teen uses it a lot of private messaging and posting other random things. He has his settings set to private and all of his friends at school are on it. They all call it Insta not instagram like me.

My teen (boy, 14.5 y.o.) doesn't use it at all!

My 13 year old follows Taylor Swift (her choice) and I constantly tell her that the life being portrayed is not real. I don't want her to fall into the trap of being obsessed with 'likes' on social media. Luckily she has a smart set of friends who live in the real world who are far more influential on her life than a so called celeb. For my peace of mind and her safety I will continue to monitor who she follows.

Both of my teens have expressed concern about the awful things that happen to their friends on Instagram and as such have avoided it.

I actively encourage my son to only post things that he would say/do in real life. I find a lot of the kids think it gives them licence to say what they want without repercussions. He likes to follow gaming people but I encourage him to follow his other interests too , cycling, fashion, drawing

It is used for lots of selfies with friends, for following people and celebrities and general gossiping

Used for usual selfies and chatting, but also aspirational stuff around self improvement- which can be a double edged sword.

We discuss how to manage expectations across all media outlets and controlling your own data content, especially around future proofing

DS doesn't use it. DD seems to just share glamorous selfies with her friends.

My teen only posts the odd photo and mainly uses it for following his favourite celebs

My daughter uses instagram to post pictures of concerts and events she goes to as well as her photography. She also uses it to stay in touch with friends and see what others are doing

My teens are only allowed to use instagram if their account is kept private and that they only accept friends from their year at school who they know.

They don't really use it - prefer Snapchat. D1 did show me how to use it, but have been hacked so many times I've given up on it. Nothing worked, even setting up 2 step authentication. Not worth the hassle.

They love to follow z-list celebs

I always tell my kids that they they shouldn't post anything on social media if they wouldn't want their parents, grandparents, teachers, future boss or children to see it. So far, that seems to have worked, as they are quite responsible about it.

DD1, talks to her boyfriend they send memes to each other, selfies, watch videos.
DD2 uses it to roast people (jokingly), put up selfies, talk to friends, watch funny videos, find new friends, share her art.

They use Snap-chat to chat and take pictures

My son uses it mainly to talk to his friends!

My son uses it to show videos of him doing bike tricks to his friends.

They don't use it to share photos per say but they use it to browse food photos or recipes to inspire them in their cooking.

They use it to share the most useless rubbish to their friends and to receive more useless rubbish from their friends and I struggle to find the point of it all. I use facebook. I'm old fashioned.

The kids post pictures and vidoes on there

My daughter (15yr) uses it consently outside of school. She follows celebrities and people she knows in real life. She is allowed to post photos but she, her siblings and friends are not allowed to be in the photos, so this leaves her to post pics of our pets or things she has brought. I have no problem with her use of instagram or how it effects her and I much prefer her to be on instagram than fb or snapchat. We have a close relationship and often talk about social media etc so I trust her to make good decisions or talk to me if she has a problem.

Mine are too young! Personally I use it mostly for business and I think it would be good for my kids to be aware of how it can be used for good once they are old enough. I definitely need to get my head around anything I / they need to be aware of

My son is 14 and uses Instagram, he has a private account so is only friends with those people he knows in everyday life! He shares photos of his gymnastic achievements and family events. He asks permission if there is someone in a photo and often checks in with me before posting, anyway. He watches live videos that his friends post. It is another means of communication with friends, currently!