Instagram has changed the way tweens communicate. The days of Facebook chatter seem to be over!My tweens and their friends seem to prefer photo sharing apps now. My girls KNOW that I'm watching everything they do online. Each of them is currently on Instagram and having a lot of fun with it.
I have learned a lot about them via their posts. The insight into their personalities are compelling...and I'm getting to know them outside of the confines of our regular dialogue and daily lives and finding out if all the lessons we are teaching them are truly sinking in.
The posts I'm seeing are filled with smiling faces and tons of 'likes' and sweet comments by friends. It's actually very nice to see Tween girls complimenting each other on their 'selfies' and picture posts. I find that the engagement is more light hearted, fun and interesting than other venues. You can really see someones personality via a photograph. My girls can keep in touch with school friends, family and friends from sports that live out of town.
Photos really do tell a story about what a kids' interests are at any particular moment. I see pictures of homework/projects, a new lip gloss, family pet or outings. There is a lot of 'in flight' jumping photos - with hair in the air. Also, not my favorite, DUCK face photos - where the lips are puckered up...this facial phenomena is on most every account I see! The girls all love doing it. It's not that becoming, but again, its the whimsy of youth!
Instagram engages in comments that are quick, short and mainly very positive. Many kids with blocked accounts can monitor who sees their photos. Everything my girls do is blocked and can only be seen by approved connections.
My rule of thumb for sharing photos is if they feel good about their beloved grandfather seeing it - it's appropriate for us.
So my thought are pretty positive at this point, until one of them blows it and it's all over! But at this point, I'm enjoying seeing their joy, creativity and connections flourish with this very simple app. They spend a reasonable time on it, so at this point we are going with it and I can continue to monitor their accounts daily and get a peak into the window of Tween Girls!
The posts I'm seeing are filled with smiling faces and tons of 'likes' and sweet comments by friends. It's actually very nice to see Tween girls complimenting each other on their 'selfies' and picture posts. I find that the engagement is more light hearted, fun and interesting than other venues. You can really see someones personality via a photograph. My girls can keep in touch with school friends, family and friends from sports that live out of town.
Photos really do tell a story about what a kids' interests are at any particular moment. I see pictures of homework/projects, a new lip gloss, family pet or outings. There is a lot of 'in flight' jumping photos - with hair in the air. Also, not my favorite, DUCK face photos - where the lips are puckered up...this facial phenomena is on most every account I see! The girls all love doing it. It's not that becoming, but again, its the whimsy of youth!
Instagram engages in comments that are quick, short and mainly very positive. Many kids with blocked accounts can monitor who sees their photos. Everything my girls do is blocked and can only be seen by approved connections.
My rule of thumb for sharing photos is if they feel good about their beloved grandfather seeing it - it's appropriate for us.
So my thought are pretty positive at this point, until one of them blows it and it's all over! But at this point, I'm enjoying seeing their joy, creativity and connections flourish with this very simple app. They spend a reasonable time on it, so at this point we are going with it and I can continue to monitor their accounts daily and get a peak into the window of Tween Girls!
This great website will print your intagram photos for you, too! Please check it out here: http://printstagr.am/
Are your tweens on Instagram? Tell us, LOVE it? Or not so much.
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