My 11-year-old son embarked on a mission to download Snapchat onto his iPod.
He began by sending my ex a text message asking her if he could sign up for Snapchat. She then texted me to discuss the request. Fortunately, we both agreed he had no good reason to sing up for the service.
Photo Credit: mobilyasam via Compfight cc
Later in the evening he breathlessly explained how Snapchat allows you to take photos of yourself and edit them to make it appear as if a rainbow was shooting out of your mouth…or you could even do something along the lines of making you look something like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
A wave of relief swept over me.
Since he does not have a phone and the only contact number/emails for FaceTime are of family, I did not expect he wanted to use Snapchat for sexting or anything along those lines, but I am still hesitant to let him begin down the social media path.
I have heard him comment about the desire to have people see pictures or videos he has made and “like” them. Another trap of social media…probably for discussion another day.
I did find an excellent guide for parents to learn more about social media concerns and which apps we should learn more about. The article appeared on Common Sense Media – “9 Social Media Red Flags Parents Should Know About” – and I recommend you read it.
For now, I will search out an app my son can use to take silly photos without the requirement to sign up for social media. If you have any suggestions, let me know.
What social media apps do your kids use and how did you decide to let them begin using them?
Hey Jason, been a bit since I have voiced on your platform but this is a biggie in my household currently- with 3 girls whom all have iPhones and have a never ending appetite for trying to be on Social Media I find I spend a lot of time late at night auditing their various accounts. Currently we have allowed Instagram and Musicly- both of these are trackable and it is tough to hide their actions. We have various rules around whom the except as friends and their accounts are private but as predators and just plan lousy humans continue to find a way to break thru these barriers it remains a delicate balancing act to allow them freedom to express themselves with their friends and trying to keep them safe( along with trying to keep them focused on real face to face communication).
As a parent I will say the number one concern for my girls is the whole wanting to be “liked” and that their friends seem to want to air out their grievances or slights on SM.
Snapchat though has basically been flagged by every parent/police/safety patrol group on the planet as one to avoid not only for your children but as adults- snapchat seems to follow the rule of nothing good happens after midnight nor on Snapchat…
Scott – great stuff, as always!
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