Did you know that there are close to 500,000 predators on social media every single day? Statistics like this help influence parents’ decisions on when their child should be allowed to get social media. 

Parents around the globe often wonder, ‘When is the right time to get my child social media? Will it have a positive effect?’ I want to answer these questions. When is the right time? 

There are many kinds of social media platforms. Some have different age limits for various reasons. Cyber Expert Kim Maslin, from familyzone.com, says, “Thirteen and up can be allowed to have Instagram.” However, with Snapchat, she states “Sixteen and older can have Snapchat.” Parents should consider that some platforms are safer than others. 

Dr. Kristy from familyzone.com agrees that thirteen should be the absolute minimum age to get social media. With this, she also says that it is hard to determine a precise age for when kids should have social media. “Kids need to have social and emotional skills to cope with the demands of social media. For some, that is thirteen, and for others, it may be fifteen.” 

Most social media apps like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram all say in “Terms of Service” that the minimum age to own an account is thirteen. However, people can still easily fake their age. 

These apps have age restrictions for a reason. It is illegal to set up an account when you are under the age the app has set in place. The older you are, the more developed your brain is. Therefore, older people can cope and understand that most things on social media are fake. 

There are pros and cons to social media. Social media can be a great way to connect with others. People can post fun pictures with their family and friends, or record fun dances. However, there can be many bad things on social media that can engulf you into a state that is hard to get out of. Pornography and other harmful messages get stuck in your brain, and the more you see those things, the more your brain tells your body that it needs to see those things. 

So, is there a right time to get your child social media? There is no set time for every child. It depends on how mature they are, and how well they can cope with certain things.