How did we get here?

We are currently experiencing a massive global shift in thinking, as 14 years of research is showing that too much and inappropriate screen exposure is linked to the declining mental and physical health of this generation of tweens and teens. Yes, there are other factors contributing to this pandemic, but screens are a big factor. By their nature, they interfere with and detract from all of the basic foundations of good mental health: sleep, social interaction, emotional regulation and cognitive and physical fitness.

The World Health Organisation describes mental health as “a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.” It underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in. Mental health stands as a critical pillar for human well-being and is accordingly considered a universal human right.

With the technological advances of the last decade, the apps and games hosted on smart devices have also become “smarter” in their ability to exploit the immature executive functioning skills still developing in young prefrontal cortexes – a process that takes until around age 25.  Big Tech has invested billions of dollars into understanding how to hijack our children’s limited ability to control impulses, assess risk vs consequence, focus, plan and more. It’s called “persuasive technology”, the same mechanism on which the gambling industry is based.

Where to from here?

As the U.S. and Australia start leading the way in setting appropriate age restrictions for social media platforms, a rich conversation has been sparked with much debate for and against it.

Delaying the age at which children should access social media is not about the likes, follows and emojis. It’s about limiting, at a time when they are so vulnerable, their exposure to –

• the increasingly sophisticated algorithms on which social media platforms are built, and the content they are curating and serving up to kids in a way that parents are unable to filter or track;
• the compulsive “push and pull” lure of these platforms;
• the host of missed opportunities as a result of time spent online;
• the dark portal to cyberbullying, grooming, predation, sexual harassment, sexting, sextortion, and pornography, gaming and gambling addictions.

We have safety measures and age restrictions for just about any product we can think of, that impacts on children. Except for social media. Unlike the film industry, social media platforms are currently unregulated. The 13-year age limit on the app stores is not set by these platforms because they have taken the advice of child psychologists, neuroscientists, sleep experts or law enforcement. It’s because U.S. privacy law only allows the collection of a child’s personal information once they turn 13. And the younger the user, the bigger the marketing opportunity and profit. Because that is what social media platforms are – enormous money-making ventures.

As an online safety activist but even more importantly, a mother of teenagers who has learnt first-hand that even good kids make bad choices, I believe that this conversation should be approached not as a dictatorial ban on access to social media platforms, but rather a considered delay in access by children. A legalised delay will empower parents to say to their kids “I am not saying no for ever, but I’m saying no for now”, in the interests of –

• a childhood rich in play, physicality and interpersonal connection;
• allowing young prefrontal cortexes to develop unhindered;
• opportunities to learn vital socio-emotional life skills that cannot be accessed online;
• lifting the heavy burden on parents to stay connected to their kids as they go and live online;
• removing social media’s role as an unwanted co-parent;
• supporting the right to good mental health for both children and parents.

Will a DELAY in the access of social media by our kids help?

YES, unquestionably. And the benefits will be felt by both parents and kids.

Should social media be regulated?

YES. This is the only way to force Big Tech to use tech for good and introduce the proper age gating measures that are already available and improve built-in safety measures.

What is the age-appropriate limit for social media?

Experts have weighed in on an age range somewhere between 16 and 25. But wherever various countries and states land within this range, it will allow a bit more space for the next generation of children to grow into their teens guided by the norms, values and beliefs of their own families and communities, with time to seize the real life opportunities that build the vital life skills they’ll need to become happy, healthy, fully functional adults. And that is surely the definition of victory for every parent.