S: When can I get Instagram and Facebook?
Hubby: When you’re 21.
S: WHY!? Seriously? <Looks over at me, while I was tapping on my phone>
Me: What? I wasn’t on it! I was checking my email! I have customers asking questions!
S: I know. I just want to know when I can get it. I NEED it.
Hubs: You aren’t going to be on social media.
S: Mom. When can I get it?
Me: 18
S: YES! <High-fives>
Hubs: Social media is dangerous. You don’t need it. You can send things directly to your friends.
S: Why is it dangerous?
Me: Remember when we had dinner with Aunt Katie’s friend Sarah? Her husband is a police officer and he says it’s dangerous. He doesn’t let his 13yo on social media either. You don’t need it. You can have a group text that you talk to your friends with, like you do now on your iPad.
<Incidentally, he works in sex crimes. He says they are usually related or with people they know. He says it’s awful. Ugh.>
S: But… But… I just want to share my photos with the world!
Me: Sorry honey, she’s my daughter…
**
S is going to be the poster child for hiding aps on her phone and deleting them to be able to post to social media, I just know it. Ha. Once we get up to 13 or 14, I’m for teaching her and monitoring it but we will have to see how that discussion plays out.
She really wanted a phone for her 10th birthday, but nope. Somehow hubby has her convinced that one of those creepy GPS helicopter parenting watches are super cool and she wants one. I want to hold the phone off a few more years!
{ 2 comments }
I know this is an older post, but STICK TO YOUR GUNS!!!! Social media is the DEVIL creeping into all our lives, stealing our time, our children’s innocence and destroying lives. I recently discovered an interesting text chain on my 14 (almost 15) yr old freshman son’s phone. From a “girl” that was out of state (later learned out of country #). It stated on Instagram (not terrible if used only with real friends that you know face to face and on private mode), moved to Snapchat (TOTALLY SATAN’S PLAYGROUND), then to phone to phone texting. This “girl” that was grooming my baby to “sneak out to meet when she visits our state”, and “you don’t have to tell you parents how we met”, and “change my name to (blah, blah, blah) then send me the screenshot that you did”. ALL OF THIS SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME AND MY HUBBY!!! Red flags and alarm bells where going off in my head. After a couple of phone calls and two days later, Homeland Security Agents were sitting at our kitchen table interviewing our son. TALK ABOUT SCARY!!! They firmly believe it was NOT a 14 year old girl, but rather a sexual predator “grooming” my child. Thank goodness, that he had not sent any images to this “girl”. And I thank the Holy Spirit for prompting me to check my son’s phone that particular night. It could have been so much worse in a short period of time. And this is a kid who has NEVER been in trouble before. He’s very intelligent, makes good grades, loves the LORD, has a stable, loving home, etc. We thought he was ready for the responsibility of a phone at 14…maybe not.
Lessons Learned: We as parents can never ever ever be too cautious or too diligent in monitoring our children’s devices. I’m smart enough to know that teens can get around ANY roadblock we put it. Access to the internet is everywhere!! Love them, teach them, monitor them, and keep your eyes wide open!! Good luck!
Scary! Yes, you hear about these stories all the time. She still doesn’t have Instagram (2 1/2 years later) but does have Musical.ly which I watch and monitor. You gotta be careful these days!
Comments on this entry are closed.