On Monday, Adam Mosseri of Instagram announced in a post that the company is pausing a new project called “Instagram Kids.” The decision comes after a torrent of criticism. But the project is not being scrapped. Instead, it is only on hold so Instagram can “work with parents, experts, policymakers and regulators, to listen to their concerns, and to demonstrate the value and importance of this project for younger teens online today.”
The company intends to produce a positive, safe, rewarding platform for those between ages 10 and 12. This task is nearly impossible. Most of all, children don’t belong on social media no matter what the market research says. Among the reasons executives at Instagram believe the project should continue is because “kids are already online” and there will be many parental safeguards. Yes, it’s true that preteens are aware of and consume some features of the online world. But this should not be a license to lure them to a social media platform. And parental safeguards are certainly not foolproof. Together, it’s a recipe for disaster.
It takes no time at all to observe the damaging effects of social media on society. Among even fully functioning adults, social media has unleashed aggressive, hateful, threatening behavior just about politics alone. It’s so destructive that entire groups of people believe their ideological counterparts aren’t just misguided but actually evil. A good portion of this division can be attributed to our collective consumption of social media.
For teenagers, social media is a different but no less toxic beast. The younger crowd must deal with bullying, ridicule, a quest for popularity, and the never-ending comparison game. The teenage years spawn enough body image and self-esteem issues. Social media makes all of it worse. Instead of launching an Instagram Kids to target 10- to 12-year-olds, there should be a hands-off approach. If anything, preteens should be sheltered from any type of social media platform whether it’s supposedly tailored to them or not.
Social media may seem innocuous on its face, but the side effects are plenty and strong. Subjecting children to this world is not a wise decision from any standpoint. Some of the effects of social media use include “decreased, disrupted, and delayed sleep, which is associated with depression, memory loss, and poor academic performance.” In addition, self-esteem can be greatly diminished by all that youth see, say, and hear. In the pre-pandemic days of early 2020, a survey showed some troubling characteristics: Frequent social media use was tied to loneliness, and Generation Z, filled with heavy social media users, had the “highest average loneliness score” compared to individuals from other generations.
Social media is addictive. At times, it can appear as though it’s almost a necessary part of life. Worst of all, online interactions that seem so devastating can spill from the screen and infect offline life. And this is what should be introduced to 10- to 12-year-olds since they’re a largely untapped consumer base? I think not.
Navigating social media can be a chore for anyone, regardless of age. Allowing 10- to 12-year-olds to use even a pared-down version of Instagram only sets a negative precedent. Preteens need to work on in-person interactions and social dynamics before delving into the world of social media. Importantly, they need to understand that internet “likes” and digital popularity don’t determine physical or mental worth.
Before long, preteens will grow up and partake in popular online pursuits. They’ll have their own accounts and interact with the wider world. But for now, just let them be children.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
