Articles tagged "Instagram"

It is always worth asking the young people!

Talk

“Make sure that the pictures are photos that your grandma would approve of!”

A group of students that are currently undergoing training to become ‘digital leaders’ were asked to offer some advice about what type of photos should and should not go on an Instagram account that has just been set up. It demonstrates some of the mature and responsible ideas from some of our students when it comes to social media use. Here are some of their very sage advice:

  • You are free to post photos on Instagram, however you need to be careful about if the photos include other people. If it is something that you consider as embarrassing or something you would think that is funny, it is always a good idea to ask the people in the photo whether if it is alright to post their photo on Instagram.

 

  • As you know instagram is a social media meaning depending on what settings you have everyone can see what you post. I would advise you to put suitable pictures online and not anything you are going to regret

 

  • Make sure you check with your family and friends if they're okay with seeing it and also maybe make your account private if it reveals a tiny bit of personal information. Be aware that Instagram can see everything you do on it and keeps record of it.

In this final semester a mix of students from Years 7 - 10 have been training in order to become ‘Digital Leaders’. These students will have the objectives to help others in the learning environment when it comes to technology use. They have been trained how to use the VR machine, ensuring they are knowledgeable using Google Apps for Education and reflecting on digital citizenship practices.

I want a Facebook / Snapchat / Instagram account, please

Instagram

First there is a conversation/demand about wanting a smartphone and then comes the next maybe even more difficult discussion - I want a Facebook/Snapchat/Instagram account, please.

The minimum age for most social media platforms is 13 years old. The use of 13 years old was put in place not to limit children’s exposure to inappropriate content but because of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which prevents companies from collecting certain information from under 13s. This being said I believe that 13 years old is a good minimum age when discussing access to the powerful possibilities of social media with children. WhatsApp recently changed the minimum age for use of their platform to 16 for users in Europe.

All social media platforms come with terms and conditions which are agreed to as part of the creation of a account. The Children’s Commissioner in the United Kingdom has produced simplified terms and conditions statements for Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube. These are well worth reading and discussing with your children, if are talking about the creation of social media accounts or if they already have them. The relevant webpage is here - please note that the WhatsApp resource does not reflect the recent change in minimum age to 16.

My advice is always to discuss social media platforms and accounts with your children, rather than just saying NO. A discussed, known about account is far easier to monitor and influence than one that is a secret!

Reference: What age should my kids be before I let them use Instagram, Facebook, and other social media services?