Welcome to "Student Lens," a thought-provoking segment that aims to bring the often-unheard perspectives of students into focus. In this space, we dive into the minds of students to explore their unique viewpoints on weekly questions encompassing student life, school dynamics, and global issues that might not typically cross the mainstream narrative.
This week's question: Should kids under 13 be allowed to use social media sites like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat? Why?
K. Toops: "I don't think kids under 13 should not use social media."
B. Dearfield: "Yes, they should because it gives them something to do. They should be allowed to use it if they don't do anything they shouldn't do or things that can get them in trouble."
M. Wells: "We should have phones if we use it how we are; if we use it bad, it should get taken."
A. Monst: "I think kids under 13 should be able to use social media. I think this is because it helps them communicate with people if they are in danger, like if someone breaks in and they are home by themselves. That is all, thank you."
R. Guilliams: "I think kids should not be allowed to use social media. I think this because of cyberbullying, plus there are other ways to contact people like Messenger that don't require social media."
J. Timmons: "I think kids under 13 should be able to use social media. I think this because it would be fun."
L. Thiel: "I think kids under 13 should be able to use social media. I think this because they could learn off of TikTok."
C. Stevens: "No, kids under 13 should be unable to use Snapchat, Facebook, TikTok, and others, but they do anyway. This is due to the fact that their parents don't see it as an opposable threat to their minds. The possibility of them receiving fake information is pretty deceiving. With Snapchat, their activity could be logged, and it also has something similar to TikTok, which could make children who use it emotionally scarred. TikTok is the same way because children who use it could see inappropriate behavior, people purposefully doing terrible things, etc. With Facebook, it is clear that people can see many things that are terrible for a developing mind. On the other hand, there should be slightly better items for children younger than 13. They can be used at the wrong time. In conclusion, kids under 13 are incompatible with using these apps."
A. McCann - "I think kids under 13 should be able to use social media because they often get bored and want to play on their phones or watch videos."
T. Bridges: "I think kids under 13 should be able to use social media. I think this because sites like YouTube or TikTok can be used for learning sites. If I want to learn math on TikTok or YouTube, it is going to show me everything I want to see. Some schools use YouTube a lot to show videos to students for their assignments."
L. Beightler: "I think kids under 13 should be able to use social media. This is because it's a way you can communicate with your friends! Yes, I know Snapchat can't be used without the internet, but if you are at home and you are connected, then yeah, you will be able to text and call. But there is another way to have internet. Getting a SIM card is what many people have on their phones. Like me, I had it because my mom wanted me to have internet wherever I go so I would be able to text her for emergencies like if you got hurt really badly or if you need to be picked up from a friend's house. Those things are helpful and important so we don't have to embarrassingly ask our friend's parents if they can drop us off or anything else like getting hurt. That why I chose yes."
J. Young: "I think students under the age of 13 should be able to use social media because now kids need more help being more confident. But I also think that there should be more rules so everyone can use social media. Apps like Snapchat and TikTok can show kids that they can be more confident and show other kids that they are not alone and people go through the same thing."
B. Culbertson: "I do not think we should let people under the age of 13 use social media. I think this because if they have a bad day, they can go on social media and say bad things to you. If that happens, people will just repeatedly do the same thing over and over again. There are some good things about social media, but still, you could be cyberbullied, and then people will just be sad because someone said something mean."
J. Young: "I do not think kids under 13 should be able to have social media. I think this because they might get bullied or like creepy men sending you text messages. And some people get depressed because of the people that bully them and call them nerds and stupid. So that's why I said no, because there could be bullies."
C. Workman: "I think 13-year-old kids should not have social media. They can be talking to someone that they don't know their real age or if they can hurt you. They can make you do bad things to yourself. There are a lot of people that lie about their age so they can be friends with you or something. Although some parents let their kids have it under 13, they may only let them have family members to talk to, and that's it."
L. Jeffery: "I think kids under 13 should be able to use social media. I think this because I think that kids can have one if they don't have mobile data. Also, if there is an emergency, Snapchat, they can text their mom or dad."
M. Kulp: "I feel like kids should have TikTok because they can make TikToks about facts they learned about, to be creative, or skits."
R. Guilliams: "I think kids under 13 should not be able to use social media because there are a lot of inappropriate uses!"
