As more content, whether good or bad, gets posted on social media, the age requirement to sign up for them stays the same. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are prime examples. Most parents do not monitor their children’s screens and accounts, and they are not aware of the content their children are seeing. With the number of people on these platforms of all ages, there is content that is not suitable for 13-year-olds to see. 

Of course, growing up in this digital age, lying about your age on any social media app may seem like nothing to worry about if no one really finds out your real age.  With this in mind, it’s easy to get away with signing up for any account under the age limit.  A study by knowthenet.org.uk found that about 59% of children have used a social network by the age of 10. 

I have personally signed up for social media accounts even before I was 13. I lied about my age. I was around nine years old when classmates of mine started getting apps like Instagram, and I wanted to join in on the fun, so I signed up. Most of my friends back then had social media accounts, and we were all under 13 years old. I think that it had a huge impact on how we grew up and communicated. 

Understanding the effect of social media is beyond the grasp of a young kid’s mind, and any wrong judgment can potentially impact their future. Moreover, if a child is targeted by harassers or predators, their young age can come into play and they may not know how to handle it correctly, and this can endanger them both mentally and physically. 

With the internet, you never know what you will come across. With kids signing up for social media accounts, it is a given that they will be exposed to the bad. They won’t necessarily look for the bad content, but everything is on the internet. While parents may allow kids to have mobile phones and use the internet, it is important to limit their access. Age restrictions exist to keep kids safe, but unfortunately it is very easy to get past them. Luckily, parental control software and apps like Net Nanny help limit children’s access to social media. They limit what children can see. There are many other apps or types of software like this.  

Apps and software are not the only way to control or limit children’s access to social media. Parents can always limit their children’s access to electronics in general, like taking their phones away at night until they are of the proper age that their parents feel is most suitable for them to have complete access to the internet.