My youngest child is just four, and he has developed a fascination with screens. Interactive ones, to be specific: he loves playing Angry Birds on the Roku, engaging with dinosaur games on the TV, and, shockingly, he’s even discovered Snapchat. His babysitter thought it would be fun to show him how to take silly pictures with playful overlays. Now, he’s forever trying to grab my phone to create goofy images filled with emojis, sloths, and sparkly text. I indulge him, sharing these adorable creations with friends under the caption “Zane’s snap.”
I might ask, “Should we send this to Miss Jenna?” (his babysitter) or another adult. But he has no friends of his own. He doesn’t have an account and certainly doesn’t know how to send a snap.
My six-year-old, however, is at that age where curiosity about social media is starting to grow. Platforms like Musical.ly, which allows kids to create videos of themselves lip-syncing, are becoming increasingly popular among his peers. A recent article highlighted how one child in California felt isolated without a smartphone, being the only one in her fourth-grade class without one. A Nielsen report from early last year revealed that 45% of kids aged 10 to 12 own mobile phones, and 16% receive them as young as eight.
At six, Zane is still learning to tie his shoes.
Many parents justify giving their children phones for easier communication and to track their whereabouts, or simply because the kids have persistently asked for one. Zane has started to express interest, and it absolutely terrifies me.
I’m not overly concerned about platforms like Facebook or Instagram, as he likely wouldn’t find much appeal in them. But Snapchat? That’s a different story. It only takes one unkind comment from a peer about his snaps to send him spiraling into self-doubt. Zane is impressionable at this age, and he also has a family history of anxiety and depression, which makes me deeply anxious as a parent. If anyone needs to be wrapped in bubble wrap, it’s definitely him.
Then there’s the app Musical.ly, which claims to be a platform for kids to express themselves through music. It sounds harmless enough, but one mother aptly described the dangers: “Imagine you could make your child invisible. You drop them off at a random location, and you have no clue who they might encounter. You can only hope it’s filled with kind-hearted individuals, but there’s a risk that it’s the worst of humanity.”
The “everything” they can see is often disturbing. Young children lip-syncing songs while looking far too young to be online raises serious questions about parental oversight. Some videos promote harmful messages, including “proana” content that glorifies eating disorders. Not the kind of material I want my son to come across or normalize.
Worse still are the videos depicting self-harm and suicidal thoughts, with teens expressing their darkest feelings. Searching for terms related to self-harm opens a floodgate of distressing content. Allowing my son, who is already vulnerable to emotional struggles, access to this kind of material feels reckless.
I haven’t even begun to touch on the dangers of online predators, inappropriate content, or cyberbullying. The disappointment stemming from social media validation, like not receiving enough likes on a post, can be overwhelming for children.
It all feels like too much to handle.
I’ve decided that my children will have smartphones only when they demonstrate the maturity and wisdom to use them responsibly — likely around the age of sixteen. Until then, they’ll have to make do with basic cameras or flip phones. The digital landscape is too hazardous for my liking. I’m committed to keeping my kids safe for as long as possible, which means steering clear of smartphones and social media until they are ready for the world. After all, isn’t that our primary role as parents?
In summary, parenting in the age of the internet is daunting, especially when it comes to protecting our children from the potential pitfalls of social media and technology. My approach is to delay their access to smartphones until they are more mature and equipped to handle the challenges of the digital world.
Keyphrase: Concerns about kids and the internet
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