Social platform · Medium risk
Is Mastodon safe for your child?
Age guide
13+
We advise Mastodon from age 13 and up. Overall risk 5/10 (medium risk).
- 5-8
- Mastodon is not suitable for this age group due to its complex interface, reliance on text-based communication, and the decentralized nature of its content moderation.
- 9-12
- Mastodon is not suitable for this age group; the platform's distributed structure and the need to navigate various instance rules and content can be overwhelming and expose them to unmoderated content.
- 13-15
- Teenagers can use Mastodon to follow specific interests by joining relevant instances, but parents should monitor their chosen instance's moderation policies and discuss content warnings for potentially sensitive topics.
- 16+
- Older teens can navigate Mastodon's federated network, choosing instances aligned with their interests and engaging in discussions, understanding that moderation standards vary significantly between servers.
Mastodon is a free and open-source decentralized social network, similar to Twitter, where users join independent servers (instances) run by different communities. Each instance has its own rules and moderation policies.
- Age guide
- 13+
- Overall risk
- 5/10
- Violence
- 3/10
- Toxic behaviour
- 5/10
- Stranger contact
- 4/10
- Addiction risk
- 6/10
- Language
- 5/10
- Influence
- 6/10
What parents should know
Mastodon is a decentralized social network where users join specific 'instances' or servers, each with its own moderation policies and community focus. Its federated nature means content exposure and safety depend heavily on the chosen instance, requiring parents to carefully select and monitor the server their child joins.
What to do about Mastodon
Free with a Parentwise account. The age-by-age verdict needs your child's age, which is why it lives behind the account.
- The age-by-age verdict
What we advise for under 8, 8-12 and 13+ - our age guide for Mastodon is 13+, and the answer changes with your child's age. - The one setting to change tonight
The exact Mastodon setting that cuts the most risk, with the steps to find it. - What to say
Word-for-word openers for talking about Mastodon without a row. - Red flags to watch for
The signals in Mastodon that mean it is time to step in.
Mastodon age rating and parents guide: common questions
What age rating is Mastodon?
Parentwise puts Mastodon at 13+. We advise Mastodon from age 13 and up. Overall risk 5/10 (medium risk). Violence scores 3/10, language 5/10, stranger contact 4/10 and addiction risk 6/10.
Can a 10 year old use Mastodon?
Not by default: we advise Mastodon from 13+, so at 10 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. Mastodon is not suitable for this age group; the platform's distributed structure and the need to navigate various instance rules and content can be overwhelming and expose them to unmoderated content.
Can a 12 year old use Mastodon?
Not by default: we advise Mastodon from 13+, so at 12 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. Mastodon is not suitable for this age group; the platform's distributed structure and the need to navigate various instance rules and content can be overwhelming and expose them to unmoderated content.
Can a 13 year old use Mastodon?
Yes, 13 is at or above the age we advise for Mastodon (13+). Teenagers can use Mastodon to follow specific interests by joining relevant instances, but parents should monitor their chosen instance's moderation policies and discuss content warnings for potentially sensitive topics.
Is Mastodon appropriate for kids?
Mastodon is a decentralized social network where users join specific 'instances' or servers, each with its own moderation policies and community focus. Parentwise rates Mastodon overall as medium risk (5/10), with stranger contact at 4/10 and addiction risk at 6/10.
Is Mastodon family friendly?
Mastodon sits in the middle: fine with settings changed and an occasional check-in. Its federated nature means content exposure and safety depend heavily on the chosen instance, requiring parents to carefully select and monitor the server their child joins.
Mastodon parents guide: what should a parent know first?
Mastodon is a decentralized social network where users join specific 'instances' or servers, each with its own moderation policies and community focus. The parts that most often catch parents out are stranger contact (4/10) and how hard it pulls for more time (6/10).
Is Mastodon safe for kids?
We advise Mastodon from age 13 and up. Overall risk 5/10 (medium risk). Its federated nature means content exposure and safety depend heavily on the chosen instance, requiring parents to carefully select and monitor the server their child joins.
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Release and popularity data comes in part from RAWG, TVMaze (CC BY-SA) and Wikidata (CC0). Safety guidance is written by Parentwise.