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Social media is everywhere. Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram have all become an everyday part of Filipino life. Politicians, priests, the beggar on the corner, and even your parents have their own accounts. And while these platforms help people stay connected, multiple studies have proven that they’re not at all healthy, especially for kids.
For parents, the desire to protect your children from harm is natural, but when all of their classmates have their own social media accounts, saying “no” to social media can feel like an uphill battle.
Still, there are solid reasons to not give in – at least until your kids are older. Holding off may well be one of the better decisions you can make for your children’s well-being.
Social Media Hurts Mental Health
It really didn’t take too long before mental health experts have sounded the alarm on how social media affects young minds. Research from the Mayo Clinic showed that kids who spend more than three hours a day on social media are likelier to develop anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.
The reasons are obvious. Social media is all about showcasing a curated, often fake, best-version-of-me persona, creating an endless cycle of resentment and comparison. Kids see influencers or classmates posting shinier, easier, better-looking lives, and envy inevitably festers in their minds. Compared to what they see online, they start feeling like they’re not good enough. The pressure to look, act, or be a certain way – and inescapably failing to live up to this idealized version of life – can be devastating on anyone’s self-esteem, most especially on minors.
And it’s not just about comparison. Negative comments, online drama, and even just the fear of missing out (FOMO) can make kids feel isolated and stressed.
Exposure to Inappropriate Content
Let’s be real and stop being polite. Social media isn’t just cat videos and dance challenges. If you keep clicking, sooner or later you’ll also see content that’s inappropriate for kids. Violence, self-harm, explicit images, and dangerous trends can pop up unexpectedly on their feeds.
Your child doesn’t even need to actively look for this kind of content, algorithms often push whatever’s gaining traction in their direction. A study from Yale Medicine cautions that children exposed to harmful content online may become desensitized to it. Suddenly, their values, behavior, and emotional well-being – aspects of their personality you’ve cultivated since they were babies – are suddenly being hijacked by people whose only concern is to get the most online engagement.
Cyberbullying is Worse Than Ever
Pre-social media, bullying happened at school or in the neighborhood. It was rough, but at least kids had safe spaces, like their homes. With social media, that’s no longer the case. Harassment and bullying can now follow kids into their homes.
Unlike face-to-face bullying, cyberbullying is harder to escape. Worse, the internet doesn’t sleep. Mean comments, awkward photos, fabricated embarrassing stories, and cruel messages can spread in seconds.
For kids, this bullying would feel overwhelming and inescapable. It can lead to anxiety, depression, or even self-harm.
Social Media is Addictive
Social media companies want you to keep using their platforms. You can just imagine the amount of money spent on user research and algorithm optimization to keep people hooked. In fact, social media platforms are purposely engineered to keep people scrolling for as long as possible – the bottomless feed where you lose track of time.
Biologically, receiving likes and comments have also been related to the release of dopamine, the brain chemical linked to pleasure and addiction. For kids (whose brains are still developing), this turns social media as addictive as junk food or video games.
Helpless, kids may end up spending hours glued to their screens, neglecting homework, other hobbies, or even sleep. It all goes downhill from there. Studies highlighted in Nature.com show that excessive screen time leads to lower physical activity, which in turn increases the risk of obesity, which would lead to other health problems.
Social Media Disrupts Sleep
More on the vital need for sleep: kids who use social media before bedtime often struggle to get enough rest. The blue light from screens messes with melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. PubMed Central published a study that found that kids who use social media late at night tend to sleep less and feel more tired during the day.
You might dismiss this as something trivial, but lack of sleep doesn’t just make kids grumpy. Sleep is directly related to cognitive abilities. It affects focus, memory, and even the ability to regulate emotions. Put simply, a late-night TikTok binge could be the reason why your teen is struggling in school or having mood swings.
Online Privacy Risks and Predators
If adults can be victims, how much more vulnerable are kids? Kids rarely grasp the enormity of the dangers online. When they carelessly post photos, locations, or personal details, they might be putting themselves at risk. Online predators and scammers take advantage of users – old and young – who don’t protect their privacy.
Teaching kids about internet safety is necessary and crucial, but the safest option is undeniable: delay their exposure to social media for as long as possible.
Parenting has always been hard. Parenting in the digital age comes with its unique set of challenges. As they’ve always done in the history of mankind, kids would push limits imposed on them. They might not agree with your decisions, but your job is to protect them. Sometimes, that means making the tough, albeit unpopular calls.
