When is the right time to let kids use social media and the internet?
The longer I've been an internet user, the more I feel like I'm missing out on something (FOMO) every second I'm offline. The tech world changes so fast.
My first experience with a computer was around the age of 8 – I used Microsoft Paint to sketch houses because we didn’t have internet at home. I got online for the first time at 11, and by 12 or 13, I had already joined social media.Looking back, I sometimes think I could have used that time more productively, like learning a new language or picking up programming instead of just playing computer games.
The younger generations (born after 2000) are given smartphones as toddlers (in some cases literally).
Is there an ideal age and "restrictions" when a child should be introduced to the online world?
Personally, I think that these topics and practical experience should happen at the earliest possible age.
First show the pitfalls and give a condition for use – use the Internet for something useful, e.g. to learn something, or to create something.
I can’t just complain about the online sphere. The earlier I started, the more I benefited from the advantages. I learned to make videos, edit photos, improved my English and that ultimately earns me money.
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App Finder
This is sure a difficult question because people are so different. For some, having access to the internet from "the earliest possible age" is certainly beneficial, and no restrictions are needed, but others may be strongly drawn to harmful content and activities. I think parents have a really difficult task here to monitor this and react in the right way.
@konrad_sx I think that there should be a condition to learn something from the internet. I wasted so much time playing games and I think it hasn't helped me so much.
DataTable.dev
I think the right time is somewhere between 'they can type full sentences' and 'they’ve already made a secret TikTok account without telling you' :)))
Realistically, it’s less about age and more about readiness. Like, do they really understand privacy, kindness, and that not everything online is true? I'd start it kind like teaching to ride a bike, with 'training wheels': limited time, curated platforms, etc.
@angelinashv This is a very neat definition! :D I also created one of my social media accounts in secret. 😅
Once kids reach primary schools, it is inevitable that they use internet (or social media) due to school assignments, projects, or peer pressure.
The real challenge is, at least for me, I don't know exactly how to guide or teach them to tell the difference between good and bad information online.
The internet can be a wonderful place for learning, but it can also be a confusing and scary place for kids. It can be very hard for them to differentiate between good, bad, fact, or fake.
@sebastian_yaphy With deepfakes, it is even harder. The outputs are so realistic that you can tell your kids, "Hey, it is true." But in fact, it is fake. To be honest, I do not know how to prevent my relatives and me from this.
@busmark_w_nika Ooh that is true, in fact, my parents share me a LOT of news and videos that turn out to be deepfakes too. It made me wonder is there any tool out there to check if something is real or not 🤔
On a related note, I’ve been experimenting with building a safe AI tool for kids. We’re using curated content for the knowledge base, so hopefully it helps prevent fake or misleading information. We just launched it today on PH (Link here). It is still VERY early, but hoping it can grow into something useful over time.
Link here @sebastian_yaphy Can you please post link? For some reason, it doesn't open.
P.S.: I have seen many tools detecting AI, but they were not always precise.
@busmark_w_nika I think somehow PH doesn't allow URL linking to product page and I also cannot mention my product, it says invalid content detected.
Anyway, thank you for letting me know!