Per a survey by Common Sense Media, the number of tweens (children aged eight-12) with smartphones has increased from 21 percent in 2015 to a whopping 43 percent in 2021. This includes a 20 percent increase in eight-year-olds as well as a 30 percent increase among 12-year-olds from the same time period. By age 14, nine in every ten kids have a phone. As these kids age, we have seen an increase in their online presence as well. A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2024 found that 46 percent of teens considered themselves “almost constantly” online. These trends mark a dramatic change in how adolescents grow and mature throughout these crucial and formative years. And while parents grapple with raising kids in a reality starkly different from their own during that age, we at The Tower believe we as a society must take a step back and analyze exactly how screen time, social media and the internet are affecting us.
There is no simple, black-and-white approach as to how parents, teachers and other adults should deal with children on the internet and social media. Although there are exceptions, , we at The Tower believe young children should not be left unsupervised with technology. If you do not trust your child enough to leave them unattended in public, you shouldn’t allow them to be unsupervised online either. Children are at a much higher risk of falling victim to the dangers of the internet because their frontal lobes are not developed, meaning they have weak critical thinking and risk evaluation skills. According to the Child Crime Prevention and Safety Center, only 20 percent of children between the ages of 8 and 11 are aware of the threat that strangers online pose. There are an estimated 500,000 sexual predators active online each day, and an estimated 89 percent of sexual advances directed towards children occur on the internet or over text messaging (Child Crime Prevention and Safety Center). We at The Tower believe it is critical that we acknowledge these statistics, are aware of what young children are doing online, and take the measures necessary to protect our youth.
Not only do the dangers of the internet and social media include the obvious concerning components like child predators and other dangerous individuals, but also hidden long-term effects that can be just as threatening and, in many cases, lethal. According to the Eating Recovery Center, 46 percent of teens say they feel worse about their body image due to social media, and people who spend over three hours a day on social media are twice as likely to develop eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia. Young girls with Anorexia are also 12 times more likely to die from the disease than older women. We at The Tower believe that before allowing children on social media, it is of the utmost importance that we educate them on healthy eating habits and the reality that healthy bodies come in many different shapes and forms.
Additionally, social media is a contributor to rising depression rates among teens. Cureus, a medical science journal, published a systemic review of different research covering social media and mental health in which an excessive or maladaptive use of social media was consistently associated with negative psychological outcomes like depression and anxiety. Common stressors included social comparison, online image management and pressure to maintain popularity. While limiting young people’s access to social media and the internet may seem like an easy solution to many of these problems, we at The Tower call for a greater intentionality in how we design, consume and talk about digital spaces in young people’s lives. Rather than framing the issue solely around screen time limits and restrictions, we should encourage healthier online habits, foster digital literacy and promote open conversations about emotional well-being. We at The Tower believe it is crucial that we educate children on how to safely navigate social media and the internet now because their importance in our society is only going to grow.
