Digital Firsts: Starting Social Media

What's The Big Deal?

Joining social media is a big moment in your online life. Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook set the minimum age at 13. By this age, you are expected to start showing the maturity to enjoy the fun and connections social media offers, while also taking responsibility for staying safe and making wise choices.

Social media is where you stay connected, discover cool creators, and explore the latest trends. The feed you scroll through is powered by algorithms designed to grab your attention. While this can be exciting and helpful, it also means you will come across content that isn’t always safe, accurate, or positive.

What Platforms Are Safe For Me To Explore?

Not all social media platforms are designed with younger users in mind. Some have better safety settings, age controls, and parental guidance options than others. If you are 13 years old and just starting out, here are some platforms you can explore first:

Tip: Whatever platform you use, always start with a private account, explore safety settings, and talk to a trusted adult about who you follow and what you share.

To learn more about how you can keep yourself safe on these platforms, read more here.

What Can I Be Excited About?

Discover New Perspectives

Social media takes you beyond your own circle. You can follow creators from around the world and see travel, art, food, sports, and personal stories through their perspective. It helps you understand different people and grow more open to new ideas.

Try:

• Following creators from Singapore and abroad, then share with your family or a friend why you find their content inspiring. If a creator ever posts something that makes you uncomfortable, you can always unfollow them.
• Using ideas you discover on social media to plan your next family outing (e.g. a food spot, hiking trail, or art exhibition).

Express Your Creativity

From short videos to photography and storytelling, social media gives you tools to share your passions. You can showcase your dance, music, art, or humour and connect with others who appreciate your style. It’s a way to build your confidence.

Try:

• Making short video of your pet, a hobby you enjoy, or cooking with your family, and sharing it on social media.
• Going on a “colour walk” with your family. Pick one colour, take photos of things in that colour, and then put the pictures together in a collage to share online.
  Note: Always post photos and videos that are safe and appropriate.

Stay Connected

Social media helps you keep in touch with friends and family, especially when you can’t meet in person. You can chat, share updates, and celebrate special moments together online. It helps you feel close even when you’re apart.

Try:

• Following your extended family or old friends from primary school to stay connected with their lives.
• Leaving an uplifting comment on your family or friends’ posts to encourage them.

Join Communities

Whether you’re into gaming, sports, books, or social causes, you can find groups or pages where people share the same interests. These communities can inspire you, teach you new things, and help you feel like you belong.

Try:

• Following verified accounts (look for the blue tick) from creators, organisations, or causes you trust to learn from safe, reliable sources.
• Exploring the official social media pages of youth clubs, schools, or community centres (often linked from their websites or posters) to keep up with events you and your family can join in real life.

What Should I Watch Out For?

Using social media comes with many of the same challenges as owning a phone such as managing your screen use, managing your digital footprint, and staying alert to online dangers.

However, social media also adds new risks, such as harmful online trends, strangers online, and unrealistic comparisons. Knowing what to watch out for helps you enjoy the fun parts while staying safe.

Your Digital Reputation

Everything you share and how you behave online shapes how others see you. Unkind posts or comments can damage your reputation and affect you in the future. To stay responsible, you can

• Ask yourself before you post: Is it True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind? Could this affect your future (like university choices or jobs)?
• Use respectful language in comments, chats, and posts.
• Avoid posting immediately after a negative experience.
• Check who can tag you or mention you in their posts, and review tags before they appear on your profile.

• Learn more: [Manage Your Digital Footprint], [Practise Netiquette]

Interactions With Strangers

When online, you never know if the person you’re talking to is who they say they are. Strangers may try to get your personal details or gain your trust for the wrong reasons. To keep yourself safe, you can:

• Keep your account private and only accept requests from people you know in real life.
• Use stricter privacy settings to prevent strangers from messaging you.
• Block and report anyone who makes you feel uncomfortable.
• Reach out to a trusted adult if you feel unsure about an interaction.

Learn more: Secure Your Personal Information, [Tools to Safeguard Your Privacy], Online Grooming

Inappropriate Content

You may come across posts or videos that aren’t right for your age, sometimes without realising it until later. To handle it safely, you can:

• Check the age rating of apps before downloading them.
• Report the content and block accounts that share inappropriate posts.
• Flag a post as “Not Interested” to reduce similar content in your feed.
• Talk to a trusted adult if something you see bothers you.

Learn more: Reporting to Platforms

Dangerous Trends

Social media is a hotspot for viral videos, challenges, and hashtags. Some are fun and creative, but others can be unsafe or harmful. Examples include the Tide Pod Challenge (eating laundry detergent), “thinspiration” accounts that promote eating disorders, and the normalisation of vaping. These can seriously harm your health and well-being. To protect yourself, you can:

• Ask yourself, “Is this safe for me?” or “Would I want my family members to see this?” before following a trend.
• Check if a trend makes you anxious, sad or pressured. It’s ok to say no to a challenge which doesn’t feel right.
• Report accounts and posts that promote harmful behaviour.
• Talk to a parent, teacher, or trusted friend if you’re unsure about a trend.

Learn more: Reporting to Platforms

Echo Chambers

Social media feeds are shaped by algorithms, which often show you more of the same content to keep you scrolling longer. This can limit your perspective and make it harder to see other viewpoints. To stay balanced, you can:

• Follow a mix of accounts that offer different, balanced opinions.
• Set time limits on apps to take breaks from repetitive content.
• Check information from more than one trusted source.
• Talk to friends and family to hear different perspectives.

Learn more: Recognise False Information

How Do I Get Ready For My First Social Media Account?

I Can

• I can set my accounts to private and adjust my privacy settings.
• I can name at least three risks of using social media.
• I can block or report harmful accounts, strangers, or inappropriate posts.
• I can follow a variety of accounts to avoid echo chambers and see different perspectives.

I Will

• I will only accept follower or friend requests from people I know in real life.
• I will take regular breaks and set time limits so scrolling doesn’t take over my day.
• I will use respectful language in comments, chats, and posts.
• I will think before I post, knowing my digital trail lasts a long time.
• I will ensure I am following appropriate and credible accounts.
• I will talk to my family or a trusted friend if I see something that makes me feel unsure or uncomfortable.
• I will share my social media experiences and screen time goals with my family so they can support me.
• I will walk away from unsafe online challenges.

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If you just received your first phone, check out our article on Owning A Phone.

Want more tips and tools to build healthier digital habits? Come along and Scroll Smart, Surf Safe with us.