Anonymous

How to convince my parents to let me have a Twitter? I am 11 (almost 12) and my dad actually WANTS me to get one but my mom won't let me! I am really responsible and never disobey them or anything.

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Yo Kass Profile
Yo Kass answered

It's a tough situation to be in.

I remember being that age and feeling like I was old enough to take on pretty much anything. But actually, the internet can be a pretty messed up place sometimes, and I think that's probably what's worrying your mom (rather than it being an issue of not trusting you for example).

One thing you could do to allay her fear is by going through the "safety tips for parents" guide that Twitter has published here: https://support.twitter.com/articles/470968-safety-tips-for-parents

It will help your mom understand there are actually a bunch of things you can do to stay safe, report offensive profiles etc..

Another thing you can do to convince your mom is to highlight the benefits of social media: Being able to keep up to date with world events, find interesting and educational material, learn to communicate and market your ideas.

Social media is becoming an important tool for every type of business these days - so getting an early footing is very valuable.

On the other hand...

Many sites have age limits that prevent young people from being exposed to some of the material on their websites.

For example, Blurtit has a 13+ policy because some of the questions we receive are of a "mature" nature. We try to protect users who might be confused or upset by these kind of discussions.

It's an interesting question you've asked here though because, as the world becomes more switched on to "social media", it will only make sense that younger people will want to take part.

Finding an effective way of providing a safe experience for all is super important, and something we all need to work towards in a sense.

Avery Rose Profile
Avery Rose answered

It isn't that they don't trust you, it's that they CARE about you. This world is filled with loony tunes. (Not the cartoon.) If they don't even let you make a sandwich then that is not trusting. Meet your mom in the middle. Set a limit to what she can see and how often she can see it. Now if you have the type with eyes in the back of their head, (Or they are helicopters) Let them see you set privacy settings. (I'm twenty five and I have privacy settings.) Only follow your friends and family. Now my toast is burning. And I can see you falling asleep over there!

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