It’s not so much of a controversial topic if younger kids should have their own apps just because of their age. Some people think that it’s a good idea that younger kids have apps that are just for them so they don’t have to worry about anything, such as being bullied, bullying others, threats, and or harassment.
Social media isn’t just an app platform for kids but it’s also a kid’s primary source for connections with people online and also communicating with people, school, family members, friends, etc.
On the app store, before one gets an app such as a game, social media source, streaming source, etc they have age requirements for the app. There will be a little icon that shows you what the age requirement is for the app. If a kid gets an app that is above their age, their parents can put restrictions on it.
The St. Louis Children’s Hospital online source St. Louis children hospital shows that ages 2-7 should have more educational apps and their time should be limited to one hour a day. The ages, 8-13, get more adventurous and could potentially open the child up to online bullying. Apps such as Snapchat, Instagram, etc are very popular with the teen ages, such as 14-18. Improper use of those apps can lead to sexual abuse, privacy threats, and harassment.
The website source Pewresearch states that “88% of adults let their small child interact with a TV, while 67% of parents let their kids interact with a tablet computer, 60% of parents let their kids use a phone, and 44% let their young kids use a desktop, laptop, and or gaming device.” No matter what device or source of online media is being used, it can still let your kid of any age be open to the possible risk of cyberbullying.
Pewresearch also talks about parents with kids 12 and under who use social media sites such as TikTok and Snapchat. The age limit for both TikTok and Snapchat is 13+. That being said, the parents who let their kids have those two apps at the age of 12 and under could possibly be putting their child in slight danger.
On any app, you can get random Ads, products, messages, etc that could pop up out of nowhere and at any time. Say my child or even a little cousin, little sibling, etc, is on that app and sees something they shouldn’t be seeing.
Personally, in the future, when I have children, I wouldn’t give them that much freedom to social media. They will still be able to do stuff regarding social media-based stuff, but they won’t be able to have certain apps at a young age.
Yes, I will still be lenient with my kid and with what they do on social media but they will be having some restrictions.
So yes, there should be certain apps for younger kids that are using social media. It will help them be more careful while still being able to use it.
However, some people might argue that other parents around the world could care less about what their kids do at a young age on social media. Some parents just don’t care as much as others who choose to do the most to monitor their kids online.
