Usually, between the ages of 11 and 13, a child quickly transitions from being a passive user to an active participant in the information society. This period is both very active for developing digital skills and one of the riskiest when it comes to online behavior.

The most popular apps for children in this age group are TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.

It is important to know that Facebook and Snapchat have child protection policies, with a minimum age requirement of 14 years to create an account.

It is important to know that TikTok, Facebook, and Snapchat have child protection policies, with a minimum age requirement of 14 years to create an account. Facebook automatically filters inappropriate content for all profiles under 18 years and protects them from communication with strangers, not allowing a child’s profile to be found via external search engines.

On Snapchat, shared photos and videos disappear after a short period set by the sender. Important – the recipient can save the photos by taking a screenshot on their own device and later use them!

Instagram does not have the same automatic protections as Facebook. Children and parents need to take care of the account security themselves by setting the profile to "private."

TikTok has gained great popularity, and many parents are concerned about the easy access to videos—for watching and sharing. The app offers privacy settings through private accounts and a Digital Wellbeing feature.

More and more children are using Discord—a social network mainly popular among gamers. The security measures on this app are similar to the others.

Tips for Parents:

  • Set your child’s profile to private.

  • Avoid entering personal information such as address, phone number, and school.

  • Disable automatic location functions and photo uploads from the mobile device.

  • Explain the risks of misuse when sending inappropriate photos or videos (provocative, sexual content, or violent).

  • Have fun together with your child—on TikTok or Snapchat, which are especially popular among youngsters due to fun filters and video creation with music.

  • Teach your child when and how to report, block, and flag inappropriate content.