At what age can my child start social networking?

As a parent it’s important you know that all social networking platforms (or social networking apps, if on a smartphone) have age limits. Some social networks use technologies that may not be right for some ages or engage with communities that are made up of people much older than your child. 

What are the risks of an underage social networking account?

• Many sites include an instant message function that allows private conversations between site members.
• Most social networking sites have an app version available, meaning your child will have access to the social network from their smartphone or tablet. Some app versions of social networks use the location of the phone.
• Information shared between friends can be easily copied and may spread.
• It isn’t easy to take back information that has been posted – and can be impossible if it’s already been shared.
• Not everyone your child meets online will be who they say they are. Chatrooms and forums can connect people who are complete strangers and can be unmoderated.
• Chatrooms and forums are some of the places online groomers go to connect with children. They can also be places where people use a lot of sexual language and engage in online flirting. This is sometimes done through video chat programs.

What can I/my child do if there is something inappropriate?

Most social networking platforms have a reporting function.

Sharing information, pictures, gifs or videos online. 

Due to the current Covid-19 situation, many parents have chosen to allow their children to be part of chat groups online.  Whilst this is your choice, we would encourage you to have clear discussions with your child about what is acceptable within these groups.  There have been incidents where children have shared pictures, gifs and videos from Tik Tok where some children have found these images and clips to be upsetting, embarrassing and inappropriate.  Please remember, what may be deemed acceptable by one person, could be deemed unacceptable by another member of the chat.  Encourage your children to think carefully before they post.  

At St John's we follow all the current guidelines regarding Keeping Children Safe in Education 2021. This means that we have very strict guidelines to follow if we become aware of inappropriate online activity.