Snapchat is also a worry.

Anonymous wrote:The is the age they are all exposed to porn. You can implement controls and protections this, and you should, but they are going to see it. You block it from their phones, but their friends show it to them on their phones. Or they create fake accounts aka “finsta”.

You need to talk to them about it now.

Your attitude is alarming. Kids seeing porn at 12 will warp their developing sexuality. There’s a big difference between catching a peek somewhere and having unfettered access to it on a smart phone. Kids should not have smart phones.

Anonymous wrote:You realize that if they have a phone with access to the internet there's a whole world of free porn out there, right? It's not like Instagram is the gatekeeper to it.

NP. Of course, there's a whole world of free porn out there! What I find the most troubling about Insta is the fact that kids put there own pictures there for the world to see, and, potentially, exploit- and they are not even trying to hide their identities, in fact, they are flaunting them.

A friend's 13-year-old has been posting downright suggestive pictures of herself in bikinis and makeup under her real name.. I find it utterly troublesome but keep my mouth shut. The day the girl turned 13 she posted a winded rant about how it is different now that she is officially a teenager, and one of the comments was "You turned 13? I thought you were at least 16".

Duh.

You realize that if they have a phone with access to the internet there's a whole world of free porn out there, right? It's not like Instagram is the gatekeeper to it.

Finstas are not fake instas - they are the instas for their close friends and they usually have those set to private. The fake insta is the one you can find that has more general and socially acceptable stuff as well as the « ransoms » which are the friends they don’t really socialize with and people they don’t know.

Anonymous wrote:Also many kids have more than on instagram accounts. They are referred to as FINSTAs or fake instagram accounts. That's were the inappropriate stuff goes.

Colleges and employers do image search for these accounts.

I know about finsta accounts but how do colleges and employers find them?

*one

Also many kids have more than on instagram accounts. They are referred to as FINSTAs or fake instagram accounts. That's were the inappropriate stuff goes.

Colleges and employers do image search for these accounts.

You should let the foreign family know. Talk to a mutual friend to contact them that speaks their language.

My rule is to only add a friend to instagram that you know in real life, someone from your own school.

Same rule for contacts to text on phone.

The is the age they are all exposed to porn. You can implement controls and protections this, and you should, but they are going to see it. You block it from their phones, but their friends show it to them on their phones. Or they create fake accounts aka “finsta”.

You need to talk to them about it now.

my dd has been asking to download IG. you made it easy for me.to say no

Mom of a 12 year old who is new to all this. Thanks for the heads up.

Also, check what they are posting and what their friends are posting. The most innocent and goody goody seeming kids will do things like:

Post incredibly sexually suggestive photos while in bikinis-the type of photo pedos love to copy-maybe body to body with their girlfriends, all straddling a long tree branch or even kissing their best friend while both in skimpy suits

Make fun of their more vulnerable peers in incredibly cruel ways and allow others to comment potentially leading to something that could set off depression or even suicidal ideation in that peer

Videotape of themselves and friendstaking on dares that have been found to be life threatening (as per news reports)

Photos of strangers where they then make fun of how fat or poorly dressed the person is

Going on peer IGs and downright bullying them and getting their friends involved.

These posts and comments are intermingled with the innocuous ones. They will also give nice comments to some peers and when they post you will see things like kids playing with their new puppy or showing off a new outfit or pair of shoes too. It's not like the whole IG is questionable. Usually you have to look carefully.

You'd be surprised how quickly a teen or tween can acquire new pedo friends and other questionable followers some of whom will start posting more and more suggestive comments.

DD tried to convince me again to let her get a phone and join IG. Once again I checked out what is going on IG. Some of her very innocent friends are following or are followed by accounts that have names that appeal to tweens and appear to be innocent humor blogs with memes, but they have links to pornhub or if you actually look at the humor it's about blowjobs, eating cum, etc. One of the IG's has an innocent name and said they are going private soon so get all your friends to join. They are going private so the parents don't know it's all graphic sex humor for tweens. I have reported the sites and will inform the parents except for one case where mom doesn't speak enough English to know what I am saying and the father is not someone I have met ever. Nanny does not speak enough English for me to explain her charge follows an IG account that links to porn. The girl is from a wealthy family and is very seemingly innocent and quite well liked. Even your little darling could be making the wrong "friends" on IG.