Kids and Instagram

If you have pre-teens or 'tweens in your home, you've no doubt heard of the social media app Instagram. As their site says, Instagram is "a community of more than 300 million who capture and share the world's moments on the service." Essentially, the app is designed for users to post pictures, with or without accompanying comments, and those posts then show up in a feed for any other user who follows their account. Posts range the gamut between selfies and here's-what-I-ate-for-lunch-today pictures, but it's more or less a day in the life of your friends, in pictures. So how do you know that your child is ready to join Instagram? What if there are inappropriate pictures in his/her feed? How can you monitor what's going on in his/her account? Check out these great tips from the Common Sense Media web site. A few of our favorites...

• Educate your children about how to keep private information private.
• Enable privacy settings on the account for your child.
• Make sure your children understand that what they post often cannot be taken back; post wisely.
• Be respectful.

The reality for most parents is that your kids are going to use social media at some point. As one comment from a 16 year old on the Common Sense Media article stated "instagram and snapchat are literally the only thing anyone talks about at school." So helping your children navigate the dos and don'ts of social media can help ensure a smooth transition into young adulthood. As we've said so many times before, through our various posts on kids' use of social media, honest and open communication with our children is the absolute key to keeping them safe online, and helping them navigate the often-murky waters of social media apps, and growing up in a digital world. No one said it would be easy, but if the lines of communication are kept open, it sure can help!