Even if the new social media apps are made with a safer environment for the children, I still think that there is no point in letting the kids use social media. It is the age when they should explore the world with enthusiasm. Even if the platform is built safer, people still have access to spread negativities, and these are definitely not good for kids' mental health. 

    I still do think there are some merits in these types of apps. It is much more convenient for kids to know things about the world. News is being spread on the platforms, and children are able to absorb much more knowledge through them. Instead of going out and having to hear things from other people, they can just open their phones and see the information within a few clicks. These apps can also maintain friendships through texting other than face-to-face interactions. 

    When I was 13, I only had Instagram. However, I didn't even get to use it that much. I only had a few friends added on that and we don't even text that often. The only time we have texted is for school group projects. We mostly talked in person.

    The regular version of these apps is not fine nor safe for kids. Many contents are not safe for kids to see, even though there are warnings, but with their curiosity, they will still open these inappropriate contents. There are many other types of people on social media, children might receive messages from strangers, and these people could appear to be hackers, plus children are usually not aware of situations where they need to deal with strangers. 

    I really like how in China, video games and platforms require users to provide their ID cards because apps and games have age limits. ID cards allow them to know how old the user is. For example, some apps and games are 16+, and users will need to provide their ID cards to gain access, but children below 16+ will not be able to access them because they're still too young. I really like how they use this way to restrain children from getting addicted to games or social media.