Hello!

12 Comments

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, a youth mental health expert said children under 12 should be banned from using social media.

“It is as simple as that — yet I go to primary schools right across Australia and the principals are pulling their hair out because the parents aren’t enforcing this,” Dr Carr-Gregg said.

“You have got up to 60 per cent to 70 per cent of primary school kids on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat and they simply do not have the neurological maturity to manage their digital footprint.

It has to Start With Parents

“We have to get that message through to parents, we have to educate them, and at the moment we are not doing enough.”

Dr Carr-Gregg said the bullying crisis facing our children was a parent, school and community problem, reports ABC news.

“It is not going to be solved easily — what we need to be as parents is preventative,” he said.

Dr Carr-Gregg has also urged Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to step in and ensure children as young as five get social emotional competency training in primary school.

I totally agree! Parents need to step up now and control what their children are doing on their devices.

Make sure they understand the consequences of their actions in the online world. Do a cyber bullying course together or chat to your school about what discussions they have around cyber bullying.

Stay involved! It really does help. #stopbullyingnow

One mum of a 13-year-old girl who was told to kill herself by online bullies has called for apps that facilitate anonymous messaging to be banned. Read more HERE.

Share your comments below. 

We may get commissions for purchases made using links in this post. Learn more.
  • It’s online bullying that frightens me the most, especially when they are too young to be able to cope at all.

    Reply

  • Isn’t there an age limit….for Facebook anyway I think you need to be 13 to have an account. But some parents actually help them set up accounts when they’re much younger, I think you just need to fib about your birthday to get around it

    Reply

  • We’re all playing catch up here but hopefully we can strike a balance and keep our kids safe.

    Reply

  • I think 12 is still way too young.

    Reply

  • It’s scary to think my girl will grow up with all of this surrounding her at such a young age.


    • Rules and boundaries and expectations around social media does help teenagers to use and navigate social media. Parents modelling the appropriate and correct and timely use of social media helps enormously too.

    Reply

  • There is so much more to a balanced life than social media for children and adults and there needs to be more balance. Children do not need to be on social media until they are older and in their teenage years and better able to understand the rules and the need for privacy across social media platforms.

    Reply

  • Only give them a basic prepaid mobile phone, lock in emergency numbers and they can’t contact anybody else. I’m not sure if others can contact them. They can send and receive texts but only the emergency numbers. I know a boy who has one. His phone is locked like that. Nothing else is available on it at the moment.

    Reply

  • Yes, it’s 13 for Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Pinterest…

    Reply

  • I thought the minimum legal age for someone to have a Facebook page was 13

    Reply

  • I think the same. Young kids need a much more protected environment than social media.

    Reply

  • I completely agree. There is no need at all for kids so young to be on social media. I have friends who have 8 year old kids on Facebook. Its crazy!

    Reply

Post a comment
Add a photo
Your MoM account


Lost your password?

Enter your email and a password below to post your comment and join MoM:

You May Like

Loading…

Looks like this may be blocked by your browser or content filtering.

↥ Back to top

Thanks For Your Star Rating!

Would you like to add a written rating or just a star rating?

Write A Rating Just A Star Rating
Join