Most social media apps require people to be at least 13 years old to sign up. But these age restrictions aren't always enforced, so pre-teens can often still use the apps. It can be tricky if your child's friends are using social media apps before they're old enough and your child wants to do the same.
Due to the various dangers and effects of social media, it is necessary that parents restrict their children from using social media until at least 13 years old. At that age, they may introduce those apps to their children so the process becomes more gradual and easier to monitor.
“Eleven-year-old kids are just too young to have these super computers pointed at their brains, often preying on their self-image, or their hormones, to keep their attention.” Stossel endorses a parent movement called Wait Until 8th that advocates delaying exposure to social media until kids are in eighth grade.
How old should kids be to use Instagram? According to the terms of service, you have to be 13, but there's no age-verification process, so it's very easy for kids under 13 to sign up. Common Sense rates Instagram for age 15 and up because of mature content, access to strangers, marketing ploys, and data collection.
Social media is also popular with kids, with 11 percent getting their first account when they were younger than 10 while 39 percent did so between the ages of 10 and 12. Facebook and Instagram are most popular, each used by 77 percent of kids.
Kids between 8 and 12 are called “tweens” because they are in between children and teenagers. It's very normal for kids this age to start to move from being very close to parents to wanting to be more independent. But they still need a lot of help from their parents. Kids this age go through big physical changes.
What age is TikTok recommended for? Common Sense recommends the app for age 15+ mainly due to the privacy issues and mature content. TikTok requires that users be at least 13 years old to use the basic TikTok features, although there is a way for younger kids to access the app.
What is Snapchat's minimum age? Like many other social networks, the minimum age to use Snapchat is 13 years old.
Age restrictions
TikTok requires its users to be at least 13 years old. Despite users having to be aged 13 and up the age ratings for TikTok are, a little confusingly, 12+ on Apple's App Store and "Parental Guidance Recommended" on the Google Play Store.
What age-rating is Snapchat? The platform is rated 13+. How does Snapchat work? The platform mainly operates as a messaging app where users can communicate with each other using videos and images.
There's a TikTok alternative for younger kids
A “younger user” section of the app allows kids under 13 in on some of the fun. Younger kids can only access videos that have been curated by TikTok's algorithm for a younger audience, and there are even more limitations when it comes to the videos they create.
Jean Twenge, our nation's leading researcher on how social media impacts child and adolescent development, recommends that no child under 13 should be on any social media, including TikTok. And I would add that many 13-year-olds aren't ready. TikTok offers a curated version of their app for under-13s. Don't use it.
At what age should a kid get a phone? Experts suggest that you should wait to get your kid a smartphone until at least 8th grade. Along with age, a kid's social awareness, understanding of technology, and maturity should be considered.
Facebook requires everyone to be at least 13 years old before they can create an account (in some jurisdictions, this age limit may be higher). Creating an account with false info is a violation of our terms. This includes accounts registered on the behalf of someone under 13.
Important: Your child must have a Google Account managed by Family Link. Some features on YouTube aren't currently available for children under 13 years old (or the applicable age in your country or region) with a supervised Google Account. Learn more about supervised experiences on YouTube.
You have to enter your birth date to set up an account, but there's no age verification, so it's easy for kids under 13 to sign up. Common Sense Media rates Snapchat OK for teens 16 and up, mainly because of the exposure to age-inappropriate content and the marketing ploys, such as quizzes, that collect data.
The new feature will be added to existing screen time tools. It will include a default 60-minute daily time limit for anyone 18 and under and a screen time dashboard. When the 60-minute limit is reached, notifications will be muted.
The content they can access on Snapchat is often harmless, but it is unfiltered, and some interactions could encourage inappropriate behavior, like sexting or cyberbullying. If you're concerned about your kids' safety on Snapchat, you should be especially wary of the Snap Map feature.
1 ENABLE device-level parental controls
TikTok states that the app is intended for users aged 13 years and over and has a 12+ App Store rating.
“Ten to 12 is a great range because kids are still very connected to their parents and into their parents being in their phone and in their business,” says Catherine Pearlman, a licensed clinical social worker and author of “First Phone,” a guide for kids.
It's a low-stakes app in terms of what you post, or how often you use it, so people have the liberty to keep it super fun and casual. That said, Snapchat flirting or wanting to flirt using Snapchat is a fairly common reason people use the app. It's easy to break the ice by sending snaps and messages.
Snapchat this weekend introduced SnapKidz, a simplified version of the photo messaging app that doesn't let users send out pictures. The Los Angeles-based messaging service said users younger than 13 can now use Snapchat to take photos and edit them with the captions and drawings that have made the app so popular.
The American Academy of Pediatrics states that girls start dating as early as 12-and-a-half years. Boys tend to wait no more than a year longer(1). It is important to realize that every kid is unique. Each child reaches emotional and physiological milestones at different ages.
TikTok is not considered safe for children and must never be used without parental supervision. According to the app's conditions, the minimum age for using the app is 13 years. Using this app may lead to risks such as connecting with strangers, participating in dangerous challenges, and sharing personal data.
Under 13: Users under 13 can watch videos but can't search for or comment on them. They can't post their own videos either or have followers. And their data isn't collected. 13 to 15: Users 13 to 15 years old have accounts that are private by default.