If you use social media, how old were you when you began?

Polls

20th October 2021

A THIRD of American children aged 7-9 use social media, says a new poll. It also found that half of children aged 10-12 use their devices to connect with others on social media apps – even though most have age restrictions.

Children are now using TikTok, chatting through Snapchat and sharing pictures on Instagram. Nearly all social media companies require users to be aged 13 or older to have an account.

While most parents track their kids’ use of social media, one in six confessed that they aren’t using any parental controls. Sarah Clark from the University of Michigan Health CS Mott Children’s Hospital, which ran the poll of 1,030 parents who had at least one child aged 7-12, said parents should be using controls on apps as well as “having regular conversations with their kids to teach them online safety rules”.

She added that parents must help children to understand the dangers of sharing too much information and interacting with strangers online.

17 Comments

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mothstar · 3 years ago

I use WhatsApp to chat to my friends but I don't use other social media at all

anonymous8 · 3 years ago

I've never used it because most social media platforms are 13+ and I am only 10, so I want to be safe and not do it until I'm 13.

roguelion · 3 years ago

I wont use it

roguelion · 3 years ago

I wont use it until i am old enough because i dont want to risk my acount being hacked and my private info getting shared

marthajja · 3 years ago

I only use it with my mum

panda89 · 2 years ago

I got Whatsapp when I was 10 and TikTok when I was (am) 11. i think these are sensible as Whatsapp is an easy way to chat to your friends and although TikTok has a bad reputation, it is very difficult to find explicit content unless you actively search for it. My friends all have Snapchat and I’ll probably get that soon to :)

panda89 · 2 years ago

Tbh i’m surprised over half of everyone hasn’t used it at all 👍👍

witu78 · 2 years ago

I only use whatsapp now and I am aloud to use Instagram tick-tock snapchat etc etc when I am 13

fudgekid · 2 years ago

I don't use any :'(

cr1cket1 · 2 years ago

I think all social media should be banned is younger than 15

cr1cket1 · 2 years ago

*if

pollardian · 2 years ago

I first used it when I was 12 but I only used YouTube. Now that I'm 13, I use Instagram to connect with my friends but I have a private account.

humbugs · 2 years ago

Technically I was 11-12 when I started

humbugs · 2 years ago

mothstar I agree with you. I also use WhatsApp to chat with my friends and family

tradcath · 2 years ago

Somewhere in my tweens (10/11/12).

mistyiscat · 2 years ago

i got snapchat when i think was 8 and whatsap when i was (am) 10 because i got a phone for my birthday and i used snap chat on my moms phone and on my Ipad. Bye stay safe on social media!!!

lovelymrj · 2 years ago

My parents don't even use social media.