Social media platforms have become ubiquitous in teenagers’ lives, often raising concerns among parents, teachers, and policymakers. With many platforms setting an age requirement of 13, many children aged 11 and 12 still engage with these networks, sometimes ignoring age restrictions.
Researchers from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) released a new social media study in January, collecting data from more than 10,000 children ages 11 to 15. Researchers discovered that 69.5% of children in that age range had at least one social media account, with TikTok as the top-used app among respondents.
Researchers also found that 63% of respondents aged 11 and 12 reported social media use, with 6.3% of those users saying they hid at least one social account from their parents.
Every Major Social Media Platform Has Issues With Underage Users
While TikTok is seen as the most significant offender, several other platforms were also called out for their inability to police their underage sign-up policies adequately.
“Policymakers need to look at TikTok as a systemic social media issue and create effective measures that protect children online,” said Jason Nagata, MD, a pediatrician at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals and the study’s lead author.
Dr. Nagata notes that Instagram and Snapchat also topped the list of popular networks among underage users.
While several platforms are the worst offenders, users under 13 reported use on every major social media platform.
The graph below provides a look at social media usage among early adolescents. The blue bar graphs represent users under 13 years old compared to users over 13 (within the 11 to 15-year-old respondent range).
How Does Social Media Use Affect Underage Users?
Dr. Nagata is no stranger to social media usage among younger users. His previous study, “Social epidemiology of early adolescent problematic screen use in the United States” found that younger users who engaged in social media and increased screen time in general were more prone to some serious side effects.
The study found that overuse of screen time and social media led to a higher likelihood of “addiction, such as the inability to stop despite trying, withdrawal, tolerance, conflict, and relapse.”
The current study already showcases the addiction that can happen among children who engage with social media platforms. 25% of kids say they often think about social media, 25% revealed that they use social media to ignore their problems, and 17% said they attempted to stop using social media but couldn’t give up their favorite platforms. 11% of students also reported that social media overuse was causing them to perform poorly in school.
In more troubling signs, Dr. Nagata notes:
“Our study revealed that a quarter of children reported elements of addiction while using social media, with some as young as 11 years old. The research shows underage social media use is linked with greater symptoms of depression, eating disorders, ADHD and disruptive behaviors. When talking about social media usage and policies, we need to prioritize the health and safety of our children.”
It’s not at all surprising to learn that children are addicted to social media and that social media platforms are creating significant problems in their lives. We already know that social media platforms are largely to blame for a massive increase in mental health issues among teens.
Parents often find it hard in our connected world to remove their children from social media altogether. However, there are some steps we can take to reduce our children’s dependence on social media. Setting healthy screen time limits for our children, talking to them about problems associated with social media use, and helping them understand how to manage their social media use responsibly can go a long way.
For more information about underage social media use, the entire study from Dr. Nagata and his colleagues is posted in the January edition of Academic Pediatrics.