Argus Poll: Social Media Age Limits

Most students said that 13 or 14 was a good age limit for social media apps.

By THE ARGUS STAFF

Studies have shown that nearly 40 percent of children ages 8 to 12 use social media. While these apps, like TikTok and Instagram, have positive uses, they are also designed to be addictive, and they can expose young people to inappropriate content, online predators, and cyberbullying. Social media usage has also been tied to reduced attention spans, body image anxiety, and other mental health issues, especially in teens. Most platforms say users must be 13 or older to use their apps, but they do nothing to enforce this rule beyond asking for a user’s birth date.

We put the following question to 257 Midwood students: “Assuming that there was a reliable method to verify how old a user was, at what age should children be able to use social media apps like TikTok and Instagram?” Here’s what they said:

What should be the minimum age to use social media apps?

• 1% = no minimum age

• 6% = 10-11 years old

• 14% = 12 years old

• 39% = 13 years old

• 24% = 14 years old

• 10% = 15 years old

• 6% = 16 years old or above

Summary:

The vast majority of students (79%) thought there should be an age limit of at least 13. That specific age was the most popular response. Fourteen years old was the second most widely supported age, and 40% of students thought the limit should be 14 or above.

Jonathan Haidt, a well-regarded American social psychologist and the author of The Anxious Generation, has pushed for an age limit of 16, but only 6% of Midwood students thought teens should have to wait until that point in their lives to use social media apps.