should you let your children have social media while there growing up?

There are so many positives and negatives to social media, its a great platform for marketing and spreading a message but it can turn nasty. Information is easily accessible and keyboard warriors take to attacking and bullying online due to its new ease.

I personally was allowed a phone when I started walking to school ( pretty sure the only game it had on it was snakes and ladders and I don't think it even took photos) but still I was allowed to have that little bit of freedom to text and be able to call my friends out of school time. Saying that though having a phone when your young now is normally about having a iPhone with all the apps and latest updates. Opening up children to the whole harsh world.

I got Facebook when I was younger before even the correct age limit as I just lied about my age like a lot of people in my school. I added all my friends and shared a lot of information about where I lived. The privacy settings have now greatly improved and aren't as easy to find out personal information about each individual from there profile. Saying that when you're young you don't understand detailed settings nor do most young people care so allowing information including there location, age and name open to the world.

Still to this day anything that you put out onto the internet will never leave, you can never erase past photos or comments , they will always be stored somewhere and it doesn't take a lot of digging to find them again.

I don't think children should feel or be divprived of having a phone and being able to trusted with that little bit of freedom but from a young age have social media really explained to them. Possibly setting restrictions allowing them to still enjoy the same apps and still being able to keep them safe.