The Mind of a Tween learned from my Highjacked Instagram Account @Instagram

Ever wonder what tweens are interested in and  who they think is cool? I got a glimpse into the mind of a tween when my daughter hijacked my Instagram account. And how did this happen?

One day, I received a friend request from what looked like a kid.  I actually recognized the kid as one of my daughter’s classmates.  I mentioned this to my daughter who immediately grabbed my iPhone and accepted the request. And so it began  within weeks, every one in her class with an Instagram account friended me. For those not in the know, the minimum age to sign up for an Instagram account is 13.

I was actually shocked at how many of them friended me  since you have  to have a smart phone since Instagram is an phone/tablet app. Apparently, all these kids have an iPod Touch, iPad or iPhone 5.

At first, it was weird to see all the posts from a group of tweens but over time, I got used to it. Of course, I am sure that those who follow me thought my daughter’s posts were a tad odd.

Now I am actually happy that my Instagram account was highjacked because I have been offered up a close up view of what tweens find interesting and funny.

Here is a sample of what I have encountered over the last few months and what they find cool and hip.

Teen Celebrities

After years of watching Disney and Nickelodeon, it’s no surprise that tweens follow many of these stars they have watched since they were 5-6 years old. Now that those stars are older, it make sense that they still follow and now idolize them.  My daughter like so many of her friends are fans of  Selena Gomez,  Victoria Justice, Zendaya, China Ann McLain Debby Ryan and many more Nickelodeon and Disney stars.  And of course, the queen of pop/country, Taylor Swift.

Gravity Falls

Gravity Falls is a quirky show on the Disney Channel. Smart move for Disney to develop a show for older kids that  is funny,  not the standard Disney fare but still clean. Tweens are definitely looking for shows that they can relate to and comment on amongst themselves.

 

Anna Kendrick

 

Why Anna Kendrick, you say? Pitch Perfect!  Her “Cups” song can be replicated by any tween girl and so Anna Kendrick is their hero.  And I am okay with that because before she made Pitch Perfect, I was a fan.  And for the record, I recommend the movie for both adults and older tween girls. There are yes, very inappropriate scenes, which oddly seems to go over their heads.

One Direction

And is it any surprise that tweens especially tween girls are in love with a boy band. Every generation has to have a boy band to love,  and discuss. There isn’t a tween girl who isn’t  in love with Once Direction and of course, Harry Styles.

 

Q&A Memes

I don’t remember when I started seeing these but tweens are really into these meme. Some of them are completely harmless but you can see that tweens are slowly starting to compare and contrast their looks and popularity. I will admit that this is a tad frightening  because I can see how someone’s feelings would be hurt by a friend’s response. Everyone wants to be known as cute and dateable.

Selfies

Surprise!! Along with girls posting selfies of their newly polished nails (why I will never know!), kids post selfies of themselves at home, on vacation, with friends and doing ridiculous stunts (admittedly, this is a boy thing).  While selfies amongst tweens looks pretty harmless, what I am afraid of is how comfortable they are about documenting every inch of their lives. Once they are in high school or even middle school, you can see how sexting can happen since they will be so used to taking photos of themselves. This truly is a scary notion.

Let me say that at some point, she will have her own Instagram account  or another social media account and I will lose access. And this where the issue of my daughter’s privacy vs. needing to keep track of what is truly going on social network merges and without a doubt create conflict? This is something I need to figure out and soon.

Does your tween or teen have a social media account and do you ever see what they are posting?

Disclosure: NYC Single Mom was not disclosure for this post. Click here for NYC Single Mom’s disclosure policy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.