All social media platforms have a minimum age requirement which users have to agree they meet as part of the terms and conditions of using the platform.  As this minimum age requirement is often ignored by children, we feel it is important for parents to be aware that, where children have breached these terms and conditions of use, social media platforms have refused to investigate instances of online abuse or grooming.

Whilst there is a benefit to social networking, allowing children to stay connected to their family and friends, as a parent it can be difficult to know which apps and websites are safe and appropriate for children to use and which should be avoided.  This summary, from the NSPCC, gives a clear view of the minimum age requirements for the popular social media sites and apps.

More useful information can be found at NSPCC Online Safety. Parent Zone published an article about why age ratings matter, which can be found here.

InternetMatters.org have produced two helpful guides to online safety: Discovering Digital at Primary School and Digital Safety at a Glance, which you can find below.

 

Digital Safety At A Glance – 5-7-year-olds

Discovering Digital At Primary School 2025