The issue of whether or not parents should allow their pre-teens or adolescents to indulge in social media platform is an on-going topic in parenting and psychiatric circles. The fact is, social media is currently so pervasive, there's no stopping the kids from participating.  Protecting a child's self-esteem and relative innocence are two of the most pressing issues that parents worry about. Here's the reality: Like most things, there's pros and cons to the endeavor.