The Surgeon General says 13 is too young for students to be on social media. But, is it realistic?
The U.S. Surgeon General recently shared his opinion on young teens using social media. In an interview, he stated, “13 is too young for children to be on social media” and that parents should band together to restrict social media from students until the ages of 16, 17, or maybe even 18.
While his intentions behind restricting social media for young students are good, is his advice realistic for families and educators? Here at The Social Institute, we believe a proactive and positive approach to helping students navigate social media is more effective than scaring and restricting them. After all, social media is here to stay, and students are savvy when it comes to finding ways to get around app and website blockers.
Is 13 too young for social media?
Currently, the age requirement to use most social media platforms is 13. However, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy believes that 13-year-olds are too young to use social media. He understands how difficult it is to restrict students from using social media, but he believes if parents all band together to restrict social media use in young teens, it will be effective.
In his interview, Murthy states, “I, personally, based on the data I’ve seen, believe that 13 is too early … It’s a time where it’s really important for us to be thoughtful about what’s going into how they think about their own self-worth and their relationships and the skewed and often distorted environment of social media often does a disservice to many of those children.”
Research from JAMA Pediatrics does show evidence of greater neural sensitivity in certain parts of young teens’ brains that frequently use social media. Having higher neural sensitivity at a young age makes teens more sensitive to social consequences over time, subsequently making it difficult for students to handle social pressures online and off.
Families and educators may feel like restricting their younger students from using social media is their only option. But, it isn’t. Not only is this approach unrealistic, but it could set students up for failure in the future. 40% of students under the age of 13 are already on platforms such as Instagram, and it’s challenging to prevent. It is easy for students to make social media accounts if they have a phone number, and adults cannot monitor student tech use 24/7. The solution is equipping students with the tools they need to use social media in ways that will fuel their health, happiness, and success.
TSI’s tips for equipping students to navigate social media
Social media and tech are staples in our society now, and they’re not going anywhere, even for young students. However, with some of the challenges these platforms present, keeping students safe online is essential while making sure they’re able to step away from their devices when needed. Here are ways educators can empower students to strike a balance and stay safe online:
- Have a designated tech time or tech-free time during school: This is an amazing option for young teens and pre-teens online. Setting up a time of day for students to be on or offline helps build healthy habits while also preventing the overuse of social media.
- Help students find hobbies offline: In class, discuss activities that students enjoy doing offline, and help promote ways they can participate in these activities. Depending on the activity, you can even do them during class!
- Practice teaching students to put their devices down when someone is speaking: It is easy to get encapsulated in your device, but it is disrespectful to be using your tech when someone is speaking to you. Teach your students to build healthy habits, like putting away their devices when the teacher or someone else is speaking.
- Teach students to identify and avoid suspicious messages and links: TSI found that 78% of 7th graders received suspicious messages online. Go through examples with your students of messages, comments, links, and posts they should avoid interacting with online.
Students, regardless of their age, will find ways to socialize through technology because technology is embedded in nearly every experience and interaction they have – even at school! At The Social Institute, we take a positive approach to empowering students to navigate social media and technology in healthy ways. In our #WinAtSocial Strike a Balance Lesson, Sharing strategies to help friends and family strike a balance with tech, we teach students how to balance their time on and off social media, while encouraging those around them to do the same. Contact us to find out how you can access this lesson to have this important conversation with your students.
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The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in understanding student experiences and creator of #WinAtSocial, a gamified, online learning platform that equips students, educators, and families to navigate social experiences — online and offline — in healthy ways. Our unique, student-respected approach incorporates topics like social media, technology use, and current events that have a significant impact on student well-being. Lessons teach life skills for the modern day to inspire high-character decisions that support the health, happiness, and future success of students, while capturing data that provides insights to school leaders to inform school policy and communications, and enable high-impact teaching and a healthy learning environment. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities.