Oh snap!

Everyone knows what it’s like to walk into a restaurant or even your local school and see a child under the age of at least 10 staring at a screen. Unless you just don’t go out anywhere or don’t pay attention, you can see kids playing different apps on different electronic devices just about anywhere you go. 

While some think all this technology is great, others, including many experts disagree.  So this begs the question…what age is TOO young for kids and social media?

“I was able to get my first social media account when I was 13 or 14 years old. I believe this was a good age because my parents were able to trust me and I was was responsible enough,” said sophomore Katie Marion.

If you are not familiar with social media or how it is used, it can be used in different ways and with different apps. From Instagram to Snapchat even to Facebook or Twitter, these apps have age regulations of 13 in an effort to keep the posting safe and children out of harm’s way.

While these companies obviously want their sites used for good, Spanish teacher Ashley Moeller commented on how the way media is used could make some feel bad about themselves.

“Since I started teaching and since all kids have phones now, I’ve noticed that they do more harm than good. I think that people only post pictures of their ‘perfect life,’ which makes some students feel like they are not good enough because they don’t have that perfect life.”

Even though there are age restrictions in place, kid are wise to the ways around them and lie about their age so they can get any platform to be able to be like their friends. 

There are advantages to all this media.  For example, it makes it easier to follow schedules, know the news, and keep in touch with everyone.  But most everyone has different opinions about social media and how it is used.

The first recognizable social media site, Six Degrees, was created in 1997. It allowed users to upload a profile and make friends with other users, like Facebook or Instagram.   In 1999, the first blogging site, VlogJournal,  became popular, creating a social media sensation that’s still popular today. But what sites such as these have really promoted is a place for people to be mean.

“Keyboard warriors, as I like to call them, are people who are ‘really tough’ and can say things about people on social media, but would never say it to their face,” Moeller also commented.

When asked about her own kids and phones, Moeller said, “I would not allow my children to have an account until they are at least 16. They will also not have a phone until they are 16. When they are responsible enough to drive, to work, to pay for a phone themselves; they can have social media.”

So is social media good or bad?  Guess it depends on who you are and what you use it for.