Should There Be a Minimum Age for Social Media?

Social media is an integral part of life in our digital world. Initially, most social media platforms were designed for adults to network with other professionals in their field, and even for college friends to stay in touch after graduation.

However, over the years, more and more children have found their way onto various social media platforms, which begs the question, does social media need age requirements?

Online safety, cyberbullying, and other aspects of digital responsibility are becoming more and more important in our world, and as technology continues to advance, it’s only natural to assume that these things will become even more important.

Many policymakers, parents, and other experts have started pushing social media platforms to implement age requirements for their users, while the platforms insist that it’s up to the parents to dictate what platforms their children have access to.

Today, learn more about this debate and make your own decision. Do we need age requirements for social media, or should we let parents decide what’s best for their kids?

Concerns About Psychological Development

The mental and emotional well-being of young users is at the heart of the debate surrounding age requirements and social media.

We have long known that young brains are still developing well into their teen years, and when children spend hours each day connected to their social media channels, it stands to reason that those platforms will have a direct impact on shaping those young minds.

Several studies have been conducted over the years, and they underscore the fact that early exposure to social media leads to increased anxiety and depression among children and teens.

Many children develop feelings of inadequacy when they spend most of their time looking at the lives of others on social media.

While comparison is part of the natural human experience, it’s exacerbated by social media platforms. Since children don’t have the cognitive ability to rationally think through these feelings, they can feel like they’re worth less than their peers and others who they see on social media.

One of the most common issues that has arisen from this concept in recent years has been the uptick in eating disorders among adolescent females.

When young girls who are trying to navigate the natural changes that their bodies are going through see filtered versions of what society deems beautiful, they often slip into a dangerous thought pattern that leads to eating disorders. Experts agree that placing minimum age requirements on social media use would cut down on these problems and others like them.

Online Harassment and Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is a major concern, especially for younger social media users. Cyberbullying is a problem for adults who have a better understanding of how to process hurtful words.

When children are faced with these hateful words and cyberbullies, it’s impossible for them to truly process what’s going on. The matter becomes even more complicated when it comes to social media since children remain connected to their bullies by staying on social media.

When children are faced with bullies in the “real world” as opposed to online, they can walk away and get help. It’s much harder to do so when the bully is hiding behind the other side of a screen.

Emotional maturity is one of the most important aspects of dealing with bullying and harassment, even when it takes place in the cyber realm. Experts agree that putting social media age requirements in place would help protect children from cyberbullying until they develop the emotional maturity necessary to handle those issues in a healthy manner.

Online Influences and Misinformation

Some social media platforms have taken steps to flag misinformation, but it’s virtually impossible to completely eradicate it. This is dangerous for our society as a whole, as incorrect information can spread like wildfire on social media.

While adults may have the cognitive ability to think logically when it comes to this misinformation, children do not share that level of critical thinking, which makes them susceptible to believing everything that they see online.

Moreover, as social media continues to grow in popularity, so too does the role that influencers play in our society. While some influencers use their platforms to highlight certain products, everyone who can upload a video or share a post that contains any type of information is technically an influencer.

When children see these posts, it’s natural for them to assume that they’re true and that they should believe whatever is being posted.

Without the critical thinking skills necessary to process information, children are prone to negative influences online. Minimum age requirements will not eliminate misinformation’s ability to spread, but it would cut down on the amount of potentially harmful influence that young minds must process.

Data Protection and Privacy

Many of the people who believe that social media needs minimum age requirements point to the importance of data protection and privacy.

Ultimately, children do not know what websites are safe for them to use, which can lead to them sharing private information with websites that lack the security that’s necessary to keep users safe. This includes social media platforms.

It’s sickening to think about, but there are people who use social media as a means of gaining access to private information from children. This information can be used for kidnapping and any other number of criminal activities.

The risk of exploitation grows as more and more children get on social media. With this in mind, it’s widely believed that having minimum age requirements would give children time to develop the digital literacy that they need to protect themselves from those who mean harm online.

What the Other Side Says

As is the case with any type of debate, there are two sides. With this in mind, there are those who don’t believe that social media platforms need age requirements. This group typically points to the importance of digital literacy in our world.

There’s no denying that digital literacy is an important skill, and it’s only going to become more important in the future. People who are against age requirements believe that children need to learn how to use social media and other digital tools as early as possible to set themselves up for success in the future.

However, this does not mean that those who are against age requirements want children to use the internet and social media without any sort of checks and balances in place. They believe in striking the balance between access and protection.

While that sounds good in theory, it’s not something that society as a whole has been able to figure out yet.

Minimum Age For Social Media

Do you think social media platforms should have age requirements, or should children learn how to use social media and other digital tools as soon as possible?

The answer to this question will largely shape the future of our world and the next generation. Ultimately, this debate is not likely to be settled any time soon, and in the meantime, it’s important that you take steps to protect the children in your life.

If you have children who are on social media, spend regular time with them reviewing what they’re looking at, who they’re interacting with, and enact as many safety protocols as possible.

The next generation is going to be more digitally immersed than any generation before it, and it’s up to adults from this generation to set them up for success while protecting their safety.