Tween use of Instagram and Snapchat

[Anonymous]

DD is 11 in 6th grade. She wants Instagram and Snapchat.

She wants Instagram for posting pictures - says she is good with just posting no people images if that is the only way she can have it.

She wants snapchat for the filters and maybe chatting, but mostly just the filters.

If you let your 10-13 year old use these what were your rules or terms?

[Anonymous]

You need all the passwords and can check her phone and pages whenever you want. You can make her delete anything that concerns you and you can take away the phone at any time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD is 11 in 6th grade. She wants Instagram and Snapchat.

She wants Instagram for posting pictures - says she is good with just posting no people images if that is the only way she can have it.

She wants snapchat for the filters and maybe chatting, but mostly just the filters.

If you let your 10-13 year old use these what were your rules or terms?

My 10 year old LOVES TikTok. It's a big thing at her school and she swaps videos with her friends. It is locked down as far as I can with regards to privacy and I check it every single night. I also have it logged into her account on my own phone so I can monitor real time. Just the knowledge that I'm doing that keeps her from doing the wrong thing.

Make sure that you have your Apple ID and credit card info password protected. My DD made some unauthorized purchases and claimed she didn't know what they cost. Luckily Apple refunded me the money.

[Anonymous]

My 10yo does not have a phone, tablet, or access to any social media accounts. She has an email address that she is allowed to check from the family laptop.

Nothing good can come from your tween getting Insta and Snapchat, but plenty of harm. Don't do it.

[Anonymous]

I started letting DD do this when she was 12, but told her I would take her phone at any time I liked to look at what she was doing.

The best way to look through her phone was to have her go wash dishes and then tell her "Ella texted you. She said "Salt Bae is out," and then DD would tell me "Oh, please write back "He never sshould have been in," and I'd do that and take that time to look at what else she and Ella talked about. Etc.

I also follow a slew of DD's friends. I don't comment EVER, and only sometimes like. But this way I can say "hey, why is Abby posting a pic of her in the shower wearing a thong? That's inappropriate since she's 14." And then we talk about it. I don't forbid her from being friends with Abby. I just want DD to make good choices about her own body and nudity.

[Anonymous]

How do you all know your kids set up accounts and just don't tell you?

[Anonymous]

My DC is 13 and no social media allowed...no Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, etc. You would not believe the drama that can ensue from this. Susie posts a picture with Anna and then Olivia gets upset because she wasn’t invited...blah blah blah. Also, I’d have Our Pact put on any phone of any DC so you can review it and shut it down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you all know your kids set up accounts and just don't tell you?

Our Pact...can see what they do.

[Anonymous]

I thought you had to be 13 to get Snapchat or Instagram? You have to enter in your birthdate to start your account, So they know if you are under 13.. Are you comfortable with your child lying about his/her age in order to gain access?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD is 11 in 6th grade. She wants Instagram and Snapchat.

She wants Instagram for posting pictures - says she is good with just posting no people images if that is the only way she can have it.

She wants snapchat for the filters and maybe chatting, but mostly just the filters.

If you let your 10-13 year old use these what were your rules or terms?

Not a 10 to 12 year old.

They can get it when they are the legal age of 13, maybe later but not before that.

[Anonymous]

We let our kids get instagram in 6th grade. But we made them show us good and responsible behavior with that before we agreed to snap chat much later -- that one isn't as able to be followed.

[Anonymous]

I didn’t let my kids have accounts until 13.

[Anonymous]

Our 6th grade, 11 year old DD has an Instagram account. She doesn’t have regular access to her phone, and I also use the parental controls to only give her 30 minutes a day on social media. I ‘follow’ a few of her friends and log into her account pretty regularly. That all said, I don’t plan on being a social media micromanager indefinitely, I want her to utilize it responsibly. She posts silly photos of her travel lax tram and food. She doesn’t seem to be obsessed. I have not yet allowed snap chat or Facebook because I don’t think Snapchat is necessary at her age and Facebook lends itself to too much information. Instagram is plenty.

[Anonymous]

Snapchat automatically deletes so no way to monitor it.

[Anonymous]

In 6th grade, Insta allowed on family iPad (we could see it at all times). Allowed on smartphone in 8th grade. Many discussions in 6th and 7th (why do you think Larla is posing in her sports bra in the bathroom with her tongue out like that? Do you thinknot's appropriate? Why do you think girls do that, plus bikini shots, and boys don't?
We have passwords, and also follow the kids. So farso good. We don't check daily, but do spot check.

SC allowed when turned 16, not before. Nothing can be downloaded on my kids phones without me entering my appleID/password, so no, they didn't have it before 16.