Your parents might be worried about social media becoming a big distraction that takes time away from your family or your schoolwork. They might be worried about cyber-bullying, and that's no joke! Kids deal with serious depression over things like who un-friended them or posted secrets about them for everyone to see.
The message from the surgeon general is clear: Regular social media use can dangerously alter kids' brain development, even children who meet most platforms' minimum age requirement of 13. “I certainly don't think anyone under 13 should be using it,” Dr.
Learning: your child can use social media to better understand, extend or share what they're learning at school, either informally or in formal school settings. Hobbies and interests: your child can use social media to follow their interests and learn new ones.
However, social media use can also negatively affect teens, distracting them, disrupting their sleep, and exposing them to bullying, rumor spreading, unrealistic views of other people's lives and peer pressure. The risks might be related to how much social media teens use.
It is also important for parents to realize that 13 is the minimum age for most social media sites. 13 years is the age set by Congress in the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which prohibits websites from collecting information on children younger than 13 years without parental permission.
The minimum age to open an account on nearly every social media platform—TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Kik, YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook, and more— is 13.
As part of their privacy policies, social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube specify that users must be at least 13 years old. Parents may be unaware of this requirement.
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.
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.
Sharing Puts Your Child at Risk for Digital Kidnapping
Digital kidnapping is a type of identity theft. It occurs when someone takes photos of a child from social media and repurposes them with new names and identities, often claiming the child as their own.
Cyberbullying. Online predators. Sharing too much information. False marketing.
Your parents might be worried about social media becoming a big distraction that takes time away from your family or your schoolwork. They might be worried about cyber-bullying, and that's no joke! Kids deal with serious depression over things like who un-friended them or posted secrets about them for everyone to see.
Most US parents use YouTube and Facebook, and nearly half use Instagram. We found social media use to be higher among US parents than US adults generally (8), likely due to greater use among younger adults. For example, while 69% of US adults use Facebook, 79% of US parents and 87% of US mothers use this platform.
The posting of pictures online should be monitored to control for sexting and other explicit sexual behaviors. Words and behaviors online that evoke harsh responses or unflattering images can damage self-esteem. The main reasons for not monitoring your teens social media activities are privacy and trust.
Snapchat is restricted to users over the age of 13.
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.
Typically, it's best for children under 13 not to engage in romantic relationships as they are still developing emotionally and cognitively. Healthy friendships are encouraged for teenagers between 13 and 15, but romantic relationships could be too much for them to handle.
If the sex is consensual (and it must be enthusiastic consent) and the other party is also aged 16 years or over it is not against the law, although there are some exceptions: If the person is very drunk or under the influence of drugs, they may not have the capacity to consent so having sex with them is an offence.
Major social media platforms, including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, require users to be at least 13. This includes those in Australia and New Zealand. This minimum age requirement stems from 1998 US legislation which banned the collection of children's personal data without parental consent.
> Almost two-thirds of young people7 used on average 5 or more social networking sites or apps (64% in the previous 6 months), compared to just over one-fifth (22%) of other Australians. 7 Those aged 18 to 34 who used an app for social networking in the 6 months to June 2020.
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.
Children (1 year through 12 years) Adolescents (13 years through 17 years. They may also be referred to as teenagers depending on the context.) Adults (18 years or older)
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child defines child as, "A human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.” This is ratified by 192 of 194 member countries.