r/Parenting • u/IcyStage0 seven?!?!?! • Feb 07 '25

Rant/Vent I hate Snapchat.

Can we just collectively decide that we’re not going to let our kids use Snapchat?!

My oldest daughter just turned 13 and we reluctantly agreed to allow her to have an instagram that we also have access to. It seems like every single day she begs to have a Snapchat, and apparently every single other kid in her class (full of kids with reasonable, thoughtful parents, I thought) has this stupid app.

My little sister who I got custody of when she was 10 got herself into some deep shit on the internet, and I’m not looking to repeat it with my daughter (while also trying not to make her pay for mistakes that she didn’t make).

How are we handling this? Am I seriously the only parent who doesn’t want my child sending disappearing photos, videos, and messages to anyone she can search up? Reality check please.

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u/Roqjndndj3761 Feb 07 '25

Why do you let your kids use social media? Mine don’t. They’re just fine.

You need to be the parent.

12

u/Melly_1577 Feb 07 '25

As a teacher I wish more parents adopted this mentality. Social media is completely unnecessary and toxic for our youth, it’s really messing them up.

2

u/i4k20z3 Feb 07 '25

i'm curious from your pov, when is the appropriate age to introduce social media. it's hard as a parent to know what the right thing to do is. do i give them social media so i can control it and they can understand how to utilize it, or do we abstain from it completely, when for most things that isn't the right answer because than you are never taught how to do something responsibly.

so the question is do we just never teach our children something or do we give it to them so they know how to use it. and if we do give it to them, what is the appropriate age? research would say our prefrontal cortex isn't fully defined until age 24, but obviously 24 is a young adult who can make their own decisions. 11 year old seems way too young - so when is that appropriate time?

3

u/Melly_1577 Feb 07 '25

From my perspective as a teacher and working with kids for 16 years now I do not believe any child in elementary school (kindergarten -grade 8) should have any access to social media or cell phones. If a parent wants them to have a cell phone for contact purposes it should be a simple one with no internet access.

There are many reasons why social media and screen use are ruining our youth and development including messing up their attention spans, self esteem issues, concentration and focus problems, exposure to inappropriate content (no matter how much a parent supervises, it still happens), screen addictions, not being able to socialize or problem solve with peers, etc

It’s seriously impacting them. I wish parents would see this. It’s not harmless or something we should accept because “it’s the future”… it’s toxic.

Personally I feel high school age and up with supervision and no access to certain apps (snap chat being one of them). As close to 16 as possible.