Though censorship is a scary word to many, social media should be censored to children under the age of 12. 

There is no question about how accessible the internet has become, from discovering the latest trends, to finding information on just about anything. Children in 2023 are far too exposed to the dark sides of social media. The negative impacts of social media on children are extensive. A study shows that 11-year-olds that use social media tend to develop problematic behaviors such as social anxiety while also being exposed to online harassment, according to Cleveland Clinic. 

The use of social media at a young age leads to unhealthy comparison to others, as well as the creation of a social standard that is impossible to reach. 

If social media were to be censored to children under 12 years old, it could decrease the dangers involved such as cyberbullying, online predators and harmful viral trends, according to Cleveland Clinic. One study found that children who are active on social media and actively compare themselves to others result in feelings of envy, guilt, regret and defensiveness, according to Newport Academy.

A newer celebrity role in society falls under the title, “influencer.” These individual’s jobs are to create platforms for themselves that others will follow which may cause them to replicate their behaviors. This is problematic for children, because their brains are still forming, as well as their ideas of their own self-image. For children to be so easily influenced by others online results in a false image of themselves with others telling them who they should strive to become. 

Social media simply is not age-appropriate for young children. Any and all ideas can be posted within seconds, resulting in a constant uncertainty of what viewers may come across. Though most social media apps have an age requirement of at least 13-years-old to join, it’s as easy as one click to falsify their age, if the child is determined to. 

“Thirteen is the age limit for the benefit of social media companies- not because that age has been determined safe for kids to use social media,” according to Dr. Murthy at Washington Examiner. 

Parenting in the age of social media has brought its own challenges. There are many cases of children going into their shells and hiding from the outside world yet coming alive in an active online presence.In 2020, a survey on parents found that two-thirds believed their children were addicted to social media, while disrupting their abilities to socialize normally, according to National Affairs.

A solution to this social media epidemic could be solved through the censoring of information for children, as well as stricter monitoring by the parents. It is important to limit screen time and monitor the usage of social media for children to create the standard of social media being a creative outlet, rather than a social necessity, according to Cleveland Clinic.

As generations become more attached to social media as a means of self-worth, it is important to show children how in-person interactions and activity far out-weigh the enjoyments gathered online. 

Monitored screen time, constant education on the implications of social media use and censored content that is age appropriate could provide solutions to the negative impacts of social media use in children. 

If children under the age of 12 were to be kept off of social media, it would provide an opportunity for them to understand and discover themselves through real-life experience, rather than attempting to copy the behaviors of others.