Cell phones and internet have become an inseparable part of the lives of children of today's generation. Even small kids who aren't even a teen, also cry over phones. With internet, comes a complimentary i.e., social media. Kids today are so addicted to social media that they can't even go a day without updating being active. Famous social media sites like Google Plus and Facebook demand a minimum age of 13 for signing up. However, 73% kids below 13 are found active in these platforms. What's even strange is that 82% parents help their children to create such social media profiles.
Google recently received a complaint for harming kids with misleading apps. Parents say that children are modern enough and access to social media won't make do any harm. They believe that social media is safe, if monitored. Then why do widely used websites like Facebook require a minimum age of 13 for signing up? Why don't they prefer giving children below 13 an access to social media? There definitely are many reasons that support the statement that children below the age of 13 should not be given access to social media.
- Being too involved in social media makes children want keep their feed an amazing one. Their lives become more fake. They smile, laugh and take pictures because they have to upload it. Everything they do is somewhere related to social media. They pretend to be happy on social platforms but actually they become unhappy and lonely from inside. This increases the risk of depression, stress and anxiety. And children are not mature enough to handle such issues.
- Bullying has become much easier with access to social media. Lots of fake profiles are up and children below 13 are not smart enough to choose which one to accept and which one to deny. At that age, children crave attention and they love it when they're given the same. This dark side of internet has scared parents since years and yes, it is a matter of concern.
- Studies show that children who spend a lot of time on social media are more likely to suffer from mental health issues. They are too small to handle school studies, classes, exam pressures and everything at once.
This is how social media affects children and this is why they shouldn't be allowed to operate social media before they're 13. Hope you too support this statement!
