Children who joined Snapchat or Instagram before age 11 displayed “problematic digital behaviors”
According to a recent New research published in Computers in Human Behavior. The study, led by faculty at Wellesley Centers for Women, found that joining social media—specifically, Snapchat and Instagram—before age 11 was significantly linked to more “problematic digital behaviors” compared to those who joined the platforms when they were older. The team surveyed over 750 middle schoolers in the Northeast United States, and found that those who joined these platforms at or below age 10 had more internet buddies that parents would disapprove of, and visited more social websites that were similarly frowned upon. They also showed more “unsympathetic online behaviors” and were more likely to become victims of online bullying or harassment. Altogether, it was a jumble of problematic digital moods.
