«Social media can be incredibly manipulative»

Effi, 16, finds it frightening that even ten-year-olds are allowed to have an iPhone these days. She would not recommend social media until they are thirteen at the earliest and strongly advises parents to set limited screen time.
Text: Effi, 4th grade, Kantonsschule Wiedikon Zurich

Image: Adobe Stock

Even though it hasn't even been that long since I got my first mobile phone myself, society's approach to this topic has changed quite a bit since then. Ten-year-olds already have iPhones, they are given control over which apps they download, how much screen time they have and there is no questioning of how much a child is being exposed to. But what is a good age limit and how far should parents monitor their children's media use?

I got my first mobile phone when I was eleven. It was a Nokia that I could use to call my parents when I was travelling alone. I think that makes a lot of sense, because it's also safer for the parents if you know that your child can be reached at any time.

Social media is designed to make us addicted and take up as much time as possible.

Effi, 16 years old

However, I think it's clearly too early for children to be using apps like Instagram and Snapchat at this age. Social media is designed to addict us and take up as much of our time as possible. For young people who don't know how to use it and are still very impressionable, some of the information that is spread online can have devastating consequences. Many children and young people become depressed because of comparisons or unrealistic ideals and studies also show that the proportion of mental illnesses has risen dramatically in recent years, especially in adolescents and even younger people.

In my opinion, thirteen is the earliest age at which you are ready for social media. I think having a mobile phone before then to communicate with family and friends , take photos and play games from time to time is perfectly fine.

Negotiate rules together

Whichever way and whatever age the parents choose, I would highly recommend setting a screen time at the beginning. Not only so that children don't spend too much time on their mobile phones, but also so that they don't have to take responsibility for them. I also think it's important to negotiate certain rules with young people, such as being open and honest and asking their parents beforehand if they want to download a new app and not doing it secretly.

Of course, on the other hand, you could say that this takes a lot of freedom away from children and that they may feel disadvantaged compared to their friends who already have a mobile phone or are already allowed to use certain apps. This is certainly not wrong and most children with strict rules about mobile phones are probably upset about this. However, once they have seen the film «The Social Dilemma», they will realise just how much their parents have protected them from.

I think the most important thing is to be aware of how social media works, how manipulative it can be, how much false information is circulating there, and to teach children or young people this before letting them explore these systems. Especially for younger people, it can be very difficult to judge what to believe and what not to believe.

My suggestion to parents would be: don't stress yourself too much if everyone else around you is much more relaxed about this topic and be aware that your children will be very grateful to you later!