If you’ve got a kid begging to be on social media networks, like Instagram or TikTok, here are some helpful guidelines to consider when making that decision.
- Are they old enough? These apps all have age restrictions for a reason! Be sure to read the terms and conditions for the apps that you’re considering to see if your child is old enough. While many parents fudge their child’s age, which can complicate matters with the whole “but my friends all have it!,” it’s really important to consider the age restrictions and use that for your advantage. You follow the age guidelines for other things in real life; online age guidelines should be no different.
- Are they responsible enough? It’s imperative that you evaluate the level of responsibility your kids are at before you make the decision for them to be on social media. Are they generally trustworthy? Do they take your instruction and direction? It’s up to you to decide whether your kids are mature and responsible enough to have an account.
- Do they know how to use it? Even before kids download the apps to their phones, they need to know how to use them all. You can work together with them with the apps on their phone to show them how to appropriately interact with others, how to leave comments, and what sorts of content is appropriate to share (and not share). They should understand the rules of online community as well as the understand the rules of the real world community too.
