From a recent survey by Straits Times (10 to 12 age range)
Singapore:
- 85 percent have smartphones
- Most popular platforms: WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook
- 50 percent of parents fear limiting social media could affect their relationships

US: (2018 Common Sense Media survey (13 to 17 age range)
- 89 percent have smartphones
- 70 percent use social media every day
- Most popular platforms: Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook
- 72 percent of students think social media manipulates them to spend more time on their devices

SAS middle school parents' perspective: 
73 percent use WhatsApp
47 percent use Instagram

SAS middle school students' perspective:

Current social media trends:
- Chat apps (WhatsApp, Facebook messenger, and Google Chat
- Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok

New apps:
- Reddit, Discord, and Houseparty

Less popular apps:
- Facebook and Twitter

Other popular apps (not social media):
- Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft, Discord, YouTube, Twitch

Are students allowed to use their phones at school?
Students are asked to keep their phones in their lockers.

Why is social media so appealing to teens?
The teenage brain is going through a major development cycle. It is primed for social media.
- Social connection is their primary driver
- Their brain is very sensitive to dopamine
- Teens have less inhibition (F1 drivetrain with Model T braking)

When is an appropriate time for your child to start using social media? 

The recommendation: Not before thirteen years old
—based on the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (1998), also known as COPPA

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (1998)
- Designed to protect privacy/data of children under the age of 13.
- The Act specifies:

• Sites must require parental consent for the collection or use of any personal information of young website users.
• What must be included in a privacy policy, including the requirement that the policy itself be posted anywhere data is collected.
• When and how to seek verifiable consent from a parent or guardian.
• What responsibilities does the operator of a website legally holds with regards to children's privacy and safety online, including restrictions on the types and methods of marketing targeting those under 13 years old.

- Context is important. Social media does serve some very useful functions keeping expat kids connected with family and friends back home or from previous postings.
- Beware of the pleading ‘Everyone else has an account’ excuse. 

How do you get your child into social media the safe and healthy way?


1. Be the guide

Shared Use

• Create a joint/family social media account.
• Talk through the setting up of privacy settings
• Share the creation of posts to demonstrate appropriate content, language, etc
• Jointly engage in chat, likes and comments with family and friends
   

2. Be the mentor

Semi-Independent Use

• Jointly create a social media account for your tween/teen.
• Talk through ideas for posts/content
• Guide the creation of posts & content
• Share access and review content, posts, etc and authorize posting

 3. Be the follower

Independent Use

• Review your child’s personal social media account (check privacy settings, etc)
• Become their first follower
• Check their posts, comment, etc as a follower

4. Be explicit about expectations throughout the social media progression

 Strategies for working towards screen-time and social media balance:

 

Social media and Singapore law:

Violations of Singapore law: 
- Posts threatening racial and religious harmony in Singapore
- Posts showing contempt towards the Singapore courts and judiciary system
- Posts communicating falsehoods

In Singapore, people are not charged directly for cyberbullying, but they are charged with crimes related to one of these:
- Flaming: using provocative words against a person in a hostile online interaction;
- Harassment: continually sending vicious messages to an individual;
- Cyberstalking: ongoing online harassment and denigration that causes a person to fear for his/her safety, e.g. via threatening messages;
- Denigration: sending rumors or untruths to hurt a person’s reputation;
- Impersonation: posting offensive messages under another’s name;
- Trickery: fooling someone into sharing personal information which is then posted online;
- Outing: posting confidential or embarrassing information about a person; and
- Exclusion: purposely excluding someone from an online group.

What are some things kids do? 
- Send an intimate photo to someone without their consent.
- Collect intimate photos of people they know or do not know and sharing it with others.
- Trick someone to send nude or suggestive photos to be mean or blackmail them.
- AirDrop an intimate image to someone’s device without their consent.
- Paste someone’s face onto an intimate photo and sending it out.
- Impersonate people by creating an account using someone else’s name and information.

Intimate Image or Recording
According to the Singapore Penal Code, an “intimate image or recording” is an image or recording – (a) of a person’s genital or anal region, whether bare or covered by underwear; (b) of a person’s breasts if the person is female, whether bare or covered by underwear; or (c) of a person doing a private act.

Intimate also means any image or recording that has been altered by copying and pasting someone’s face onto another body that is engaging in a sexual act.

Any person shall be found guilty if they intentionally or knowingly distribute an intimate image or recording of another person without the other person’s consent or knowingly threaten the distribution of an intimate image or recording of another person without the other person’s consent while knowing it could cause the person humiliation, alarm, and/or distress.

Consequences:
- Imprisonment up to five years or with fine, or caning, or a combination of these punishments.
- All SAS students who are found to be in violation of this law are subject to severe disciplinary consequences that may include out-of-school suspension and expulsion.

What are some things kids do?

• Send an intimate photo to someone without their consent
• Ask a friend for an intimate image
• Collect intimate photos of people they know or do not know and share them with others
• Trick someone to send nude or suggestive photos to be mean or blackmail them
• AirDrop an intimate image to someone’s device without their consent
• Paste someone’s face onto an intimate photo and sending it out
• Impersonate people by creating an account using someone else’s name and information

If your child receives mean messages, inappropriate photos, or requests from fake accounts:
1. Tell the other user to stop and tell them that they don’t want to receive images/messages like that.
2. Report the user to the social media site.
3. Block the user. 
4. On some platforms they may also need to “Restrict” the user.
5. Tell a trusted adult.
6. Consider reporting to the police.

Click here to access the slide deck.