How should parents deal with the menace of Instagram? – Blaise Tapp

Nobody, ever, has said that parenting is easy but the thunder storms of doom and confusion that swirl around the issue of children and internet use is making it all the more difficult for millions of already mentally frazzled mums and dads.

For the past fortnight or so, we have been bombarded with a seemingly endless succession of headlines about the perils of young social media obsessives, mainly teenagers, who have been pushed to the brink and beyond.

Instagram, the social media platform of choice for Kardashians and people who want to use a fancy filter to make their steak and kidney pie dinner look more appetising, has been very much in the firing line.

We have, sadly, now all heard about Molly Russell, the 14-year-old, whose father believes that her tragic death in 2017 was partly down to the fact she viewed graphic content relating to self harm, suicide and anxiety.

Ian Russell’s relentlessly high profile pursuit for answers as to why his outwardly happy daughter would find herself in such a dark place has caused genuine shockwaves within an industry which has previously appeared almost impervious to impassioned pleas.

Following the media pressure, coupled with government intervention, Instagram has taken steps to remove negative content, such as that showing poor souls self-harming.

Parents have had little choice but to sit up and take notice of the fierce debate.

My nine-year-old is desperate for her own phone and, thus far, we have resisted with vague ‘promises’ she might get one for her next birthday, if she behaves.

Is 10 too young for a child to have a phone? I have met children who have had their own Instagram account since the age of 11, despite the fact the age minimum limit is 13.

Pester power and juvenile obfuscation are winning the day in many a household across the UK, simply because many parents simply haven’t got a clue about how to deal with this growing menace.