Uploading to Youtube

[skrumle]

DD is 13, and since she turned 13 has set up instagram, twitter and youtube accounts. she's generally very sensible but I don't think she totally understands the vastness of the internet...

she has uploaded videos of herself singing to youtube - which makes me uncomfortable. she uses her real name so it's actually google-able. I'm going to tell her to take down the one where she's wearing her school tie but is it acceptable for to have the rest up?

how do you all manage it? i feel as though we've kept her back from this stuff as much as possible (i-pod at 11.5, blackberry at 12.5, no signing up for accounts till she's the right age). compared to most folk we know we've been strict but we've still ended up with a 13yo who has 1,900 twitter followers and uploads videos to youtube! just feeling a bit out of my depth.

she possibly needs to be taught a bit about the 'vastness' as you put it... if you feel she doesn't 'get it'. 13 is very young for that level of activity, and I'd be particularly concerned about the own name issues... having said that I have a now 17DD who has been fairly active on YouTube (also makes and uploads videos) and Twitter (as well as tumblr etc) for just under two years.. but she only (!) has around 300 followers on twitter and about the same on her you tube channel, which she's quite happy with.. 1900 would seem quite a lot ...

I would definitely have a chat about the stuff that might follow her through her life and could be embarrassing in future ... is she happy for you to see everything she's posted (do you follow her on twitter yourself?).. because if there is stuff there that she'd rather her parents (or other influential adults) didn't see then that would be a worry... even if don't go looking, I'd ask her how she would feel if you found her posts... can be quite revealing..

having said my DD travelled to meet several 'internet' friends that she met through YouTube and the like, but she had also been chatting online (with video - Google hangout and skype) so knew them fairly well and to be who she thought they were, and they've turned out to be good friends!

Many of the higher user you tubers and tweeters have multiple accounts/personalities - one for proper friends and a different one for 'fan' friends to differentiate which I think seems a sensible route to go down.

I would certainly get involved if she'll let you so you can guide rather than control (that always backfires in my opinion).. but do reinforce the need for online safety etc where possible.

Depending where you are, there are meet ups for like minded you tubers to get together and swap information face to face - mine has now been to several of these and has a wide circle of friends, they undertake collaborative videos and such like - good sensible use of YouTube and one of the main areas it's actively developing.

I'm 17 and do quite alot of youtub(ing) and have done for about 2-3 years. I think you do need to have a chat to your daughter about how vast the internet is. I think you would need to focus the talk around how she has used her real name in her account, by linking her real life with her online life she puts herself at significantly more "risk". However in fairness, as long as she is sensible online then these risks are unlikely to materialise and if they do many large websites have very effective reporting procedures.