PRO
Should kids 12 and younger have social media? I think not. Social media plays a big role in every person’s life, even adults, so it is no surprise that children want access to it. It’s challenging for adults and teens to manage their social media use, so we should restrict kids’ access until they are at least 13.
Social media is like a drug, and it’s very addictive. Kids who haven’t even made it to high school shouldn’t be addicted to something at such a young age. Of course, no one should be addicted to social media, but it happens, and those who do develop issues related to social media need to be old enough to understand this and the ways to handle it. Children deserve to have fun for themselves without devices like smartphones and iPads, and doing outdoor activities, making plans with friends, and just being a kid. Once you get hooked on social media, that’s all you care about.
Social media can be a toxic place for individuals who are not equipped to handle the wide array of content on it, which is exactly what kids under 13 represent. Exposing children to content they are not prepared to handle can lead them to think that behavior that is not appropriate for their age is okay. When you’re young, normal behavior should be playing at parks or watching cartoons, not staying on social media all day or trying to make bad decisions that they will regret, like doing dangerous trends they see others doing. Young kids are easily influenced, and when they don’t understand the actions they are taking or the people they are imitating, they may end up doing inappropriate things that they think are okay because they see others doing it.
According to Carol Vidal, MD, and Jennifer Marget Katzenstein, PhD, in their article “Social Media and Mental Health in Children and Teens,” kids as young as 8 are spending time on social media. They state, “Though most social media platforms have a required minimum age of 13, almost 40% of children between the ages of 8 and 12 use social media.” This is important because it shows that even though there are age limits meant to protect younger children, many are still getting access anyway, either by lying about their age or finding other ways to sign up. This connects to the bigger issue of why kids under 12 should not be on social media in the first place. If so many children are already using these apps before they are old enough, it proves that the rules are not being followed well enough. As a result, kids are being exposed to content and situations they are not mature enough to handle, which supports the idea that social media is not designed for children that young. This also shows that kids need stronger parent involvement and stricter monitoring, since children at that age cannot fully understand the risks of being online.
So whose responsibility is it to keep kids off social media before they are ready for it? The parents are the ones who must protect kids and monitor them. It’s not the fault of the social media platforms that parents don’t have control of their children and their children’s devices. Social media is for anyone, and there is no rule that you can’t post what you want to post, so if you let your kids go online, it means they may access things they are not ready for. Social media will always be a public place for everyone, so parents must take control of what their kids see by protecting them through monitoring.
Social media can be a very toxic place, which many people realize. This means that it is simply not a good environment for a child to be without support from parents. Even adults can struggle with handling social media, so it could be draining for a child, especially if they are too young. Young kids shouldn’t be worrying about anything except having fun.
PRO
How often do you use social media? For many people, it’s not as frequent as the average teenager. It’s become an apparent issue that pre-teens use social media more often than the average population does, using it often poses a concern to the dangers that social media can bring.
According to “How Social Media Can Negatively Affect Your Child” from the Cleveland Clinic, as of 2026, more than 40% of kids under the age of 12 use social media on a daily basis. When kids as young as 12 or even younger are on social media, they are inviting serious issues that may arise due to what they are exposed to. According to Sarah Miller’s article ”The Addictiveness of Social Media”, “The overuse of social media can actually rewire a young child or teen’s brain to constantly seek out immediate gratification, leading to obsessive compulsive behaviours. This is what makes mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, adhd and body dysphoria worse”. This is important to understand because while this is not good for teens those 13 and older, it is terrible for younger children who are not prepared to handle this.
In 2024, Australia took action on social media safety and passed an online safety amendment that prohibits minors under the age of 16 from holding an account on social media platforms. This was a wise decision because it protected the majority of minors from the dangers of social media. However, the US does not have a law like this despite what statistics show. One aspect of the statistics that stand out in relation to social media are those on cyberbullying. According to “Bullying Statistics” from Patchin and Hinduja as cited by the National Bullying Center, 20.9% of pre-teens have cyberbullied others, or been bullied themselves, out of every five 19.2% report being bullied, Additionally 69% report it negatively impacted their feelings and wellbeing. Cyberbullying can deeply impact young peoples’ well-being and health. The percentage of cyberbullying in the US is a major concern and shows there needs to be action done, perhaps something similar to the law enacted in Australia in order to protect the online safety of pre-teens.
Risks came from the use of starting social media early, According to ”Age to introduce social media” from American academy of pediatrics, “A recent survey found that kids who started social media at age 10 or younger were more likely to be victims of online harassment and more likely to have online friends or social media accounts that parents would disapprove of. These youth were also more likely to display unsympathetic online behaviors such as sharing discriminatory or fake content, making passive-aggressive comments, or engaging in cyberbullying.”
Overall, kids under the age of 12 shouldn’t use social media because it comes with many dangers, risks and harm to health.
CON
The debate over how old children should be before they are allowed on social media is big. Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok are required to set their minimum age to 13 due to the US federal law called the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which was put into place in 2000. Despite this law, children who are 12 or under (tweens) are already on these platforms because it’s easy to lie about age on them and gain access. Although children being on social media at such a young age is frowned upon, these platforms are beneficial to their creativity, exploring interests or hobbies, and their social life.
When it comes to creativity, the internet is a limitless world of inspiration. Platforms are now the main area where artists promote their arts or crafts, which allows children to receive positive reinforcement. The Positives of Social Media for Teens from the University of Rochester School of Medicine argues, “Social media gives teens a space to express themselves—a key part of healthy development. Whether sharing art, writing, handmade goods, or launching a small business, these platforms encourage creativity and confidence.” Teens have a greater chance of being able to express themselves artistically through the inspiration of creators on social media.
For many children, especially those who feel left out in their school community, social media offers countless communities and people to interact with. Social media offers creativity and learning opportunities while giving them a chance to interact with other children with the same interests or explore a new interest through other children. Anne Dawson, PhD; Mary Fristad, PhD; and Ariana Hoet, PhD of The Kids Mental Health Foundation report that, “Social media offers many kids an outlet for creativity and learning, while providing a chance to interact with others who share the same interests.” Social media gives children the chance to be able to explore a world they haven’t been exposed to yet, which authorizes them to meet and interact with others their age and learn about other hobbies they could later be interested in.
Not only can kids communicate with new people online, but they can also communicate with kids in their class or anyone they know in their own personal life. This can strengthen relationships in the child’s life if they’re not able to see people they know often; they can just communicate with them online. Apps such as Instagram and Snapchat allow children to add people with restrictions, making sure you know the person before sending or receiving a direct message. The writers from The Kids Mental Health Foundation say, “This type of digital communication is preferred by many teenagers for its ease and accessibility.” Also, since many teenagers prefer social media as their main communication, so will the preteens and children because teenagers are their biggest role models.
Some may argue or agree that children shouldn’t be on social media or don’t even believe teenagers should be, but that shouldn’t be the case. People understand that social media can be a dangerous platform, putting people at risk every day, but COPPA was put in place to protect children when they are online. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) tells us, “The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) was passed by Congress in 1998. It states that online services can’t collect or share data from children under the age of 13 without parental permission.” Because of COPPA, children across the United States can safely use social media. Also, children under 13 must have an adult to supervise any account the child makes on any social media platform to avoid any risk of anything happening. Social media is now a safe place for children to use freely.
