How Young is Too Young to Use Social Media? (By Violet)

    Many parents struggle to make decisions about when to allow their children to join social media platforms. There are a lot of different reasons a parent might or might not want to introduce their children to social media too early. It’s important to consider all of these factors when considering what to do. I would like to analyze these possible contributors to the decisions of parents and decide what I think the logical conclusion is. According to Source 1, around one third of children ages 7-9 use social media. This may sound shocking to some parents, but completely okay to others. Every household has different levels of concern and expectations.

    There are many reasons why parents might feel pressured to allow their kids online. Oftentimes, kids want to use these platforms to connect with family and friends. Social media can be crucial for some children to not feel isolated from people they don’t get to see often. Many of them rely on it as a large form of socialization in their lives. Along with this, there come pressures from peers to be on social media at a young age. Many kids feel left out when they have less social media access than their friends. While this may not be as legitimate as some of the other reasons, peer pressure can definitely influence kids asking and persuading their parents to allow them on social media. What it ultimately boils down to is: the main reason to allow your children on social media is because they want you to, which isn’t great, but I believe there’s some legitimacy to it.

    There are, unfortunately, many ways that social media can negatively impact children. Mental health, personal safety, excessive screen time, sensitive content, and digital footprint are all things to be considered when children have an online presence. It can be difficult for many young people to understand online safety, and how it may be compromised. There are a lot of ill-intentioned people on social media, whether they be cyber bullies, predators, or scammers. Your child could be a victim of any of these if they don’t exercise caution on social media platforms. It’s important for young people to understand the risks and responsibilities that come with using social media. Many kids and teens become dependent on their devices after discovering social media. This is a problem that could affect a child’s attention span, productivity, and interest in real-life activities. Safety (both emotional and physical) is another concern that many parents think up. Upon joining social media, many children are encountered with unpleasant users that want to hurt them in some way. Although it’s sad, this is the truth of many social media platforms.

    In the end, I think the ultimate solution to these issues is to monitor the activity of children and set limits. Although, according to source 2, some experts think that thirteen is the absolute minimum for when kids should be on social media, I don’t think it’s something universal. Every child is different and how they handle the responsibilities that come with these platforms varies widely. When they are younger, maybe start by letting them use social media only around you, making sure they watch appropriate content that you approve of. As they get older, allow them to message some friends/family that they know in real life on their own on certain platforms. Set boundaries and expand them as you see fit. It’s important that children understand the potential real-life consequences of their online actions before they are given that sort of responsibility. It’s all about trust and moderation. I don’t think there is one set age. I believe that children should be allowed on social media once they are mature enough to understand the responsibilities that come with it.

Sources:
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/dangers-of-social-media-for-youth/
https://www.liberty.edu/champion/2022/02/digital-dangers-at-what-age-should-kids-get-social-media/#:~:text=Due%20to%20the%20various%20dangers,gradual%20and%20easier%20to%20monitor.