Social media apps & middle school kids under 13 - KOAT News - November 15, 2021
Studies Show Negative Effects For Young Kids on Social Media Apps
On this week’s ABC affiliate KOAT News Morning Segment in New Mexico, our director, Lisa Honold talked about why young kids under 13 years old should not be joining social media apps.
New research published in Computers in Human Behavior led by faculty at Wellesley Centers for Women, found that joining social media—specifically, Snapchat and Instagram—before age 11 was significantly linked to more “problematic digital behaviors” compared to those who joined the platforms when they were older.
They studied 750 middle school kids and showed that when they joined social media apps before the age of 11, they are more prone to experiencing online bullying and sexual harassment than if they were not online. This can lead to higher levels of depression and anxiety.
Why are young kids not ready for social media?
Brain development. Their pre-frontal cortex won’t be fully developed until age 25 and that’s the part of the brain that helps predict consequences, self-regulates and leads to good decision making.
Risk taking is normal as they become more independent.
They’re more likely to be targets for cyberbullies and predators.
They will be exposed to explicit and dangerous content.
Peers are doing risky things.
Parents aren’t equipped to supervise their actions on social media.
They should be playing and being kids!
Recognize these apps are built to keep kids online.
Social media apps are designed for “engagement” and users are given rewards like the “like” button and status notification updates. The same part of the brain is stimulated when we play a slot machine, eat chocolate or see a large number of “likes” on a post.
When we respond to a notification by checking the phone, we’ve created a habit.
To reduce the negative effects of social media apps, parents should:
say no to kids under 13 who want social media accounts
help teens reduce their screen time by setting up limits (3 times a day, or after meals, or for an hour a day are examples of screen time limits)
set a bedtime for phones, tablets, laptops and other devices (use an app like Bark to set limits and bedtimes up automatically)
role play what to do when your teen encounters harmful content or situations
talk about how to end old unhealthy habits and set new healthy habits
be a good role model for taking breaks from social media
keep the lines of communication open