Social media has been around for years and recently groups of 8-12 year olds have been joining apps such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and more. Exposing the developing mind to social media at such young ages can be harmful for growth.
I think that social media should not be permitted for children under a certain age. Exposing adolescents to online platforms can be damaging to brain development.
Young children should not be exposed to the content on social media, it is not appropriate and it will plant bad ideas in their heads. Children should spend their youth being outside or hanging out with friends instead of being on screens.
Social media causes children to fall into bad routines. Most people say they go on social media for only a moment and find themselves scrolling for hours. In a study by Nutrisystem, 29% of the 2,000 people surveyed were on their phone during meals. If young kids are exposed to this behavior, they will not have manners or basic social etiquette.
Using social media unveils new perspectives for some. Seeing features such as weight loss or gain, hair styles, and physical-based traits of others could make children of a young age insecure in the future. As younger people have a less developed brain, it can be hard to comprehend that not everything they see online is true. Videos of people doing pranks or dangerous stunts are posted online regularly. Younger children might want to try these activities themselves, putting themselves in danger of getting hurt.
A 2014 study by PBS showed that 80% of teens stayed up late on their phones. While teenagers are older and used to staying up late because of school work and other activities, younger children are not. Children need more sleep and having social media as a distraction isn’t good for brain development. Social media and endless scrolling will have them up for hours and they won’t get the sleep they need. A study by Nemours KidsHealth showed that Children (6–13 years) need 9–12 hours, while teens (14–17 years) only need 8–10 hours.
Although social media is, overall, not healthy for younger age groups, it is understandable that children want to express themselves online. Social media is one of the best places to show who you are through a simple post. Some people go on to have careers in social media and find it a comforting place. Social media can be a safe haven where people can take a break from reality for a little while.
A good solution to this issue would be to have restrictions on certain apps or on kids’ phones. Parents could set up apps on the children’s phones and approve things they download so children aren’t downloading apps without permission. All in all, children are too young for social media and apps should have age restrictions or parent approval.
