He's been asking for months and says all his friends have it. I'm worried about the toxic stuff and predators honestly. I've heard about parental controls but I'm not great with tech. Been reading a lot online and it seems like every expert has a different opinion. Did you let yours have social media at this age? How did you handle it?
Everyone's kids are asking for this now. We said not yet but I'm definitely thinking about it for next year when he's 14. The algorithm stuff is real though - it's designed to mess with their heads.
The 'all his friends have it' argument is tough because some of them probably do. Maybe compromise with parental controls and following his account? Or make it a point where he earns it with behavior?
Tough one. I don't have a 13 year old yet but this is coming for me. What's your main concern - the social aspect or the content they're exposed to?
If you do it, make sure YOU'RE following him and you check in regularly. Not in a creepy way but you gotta know what he's seeing. The toxic stuff is real on there.
The 'all my friends have it' argument is real but it doesn't make it true. I'd set up some boundaries first if you do let him on. Screen time limits, who can message him, all that stuff. Maybe compromise with TikTok instead since you can at least control the algorithm better.
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13 is the age where they're getting older and you need to start treating them more like a teenager. But Instagram is genuinely toxic for that age. TikTok too. Have you looked at what he'd actually be doing on there?