JaTavia Bradley, a mental health counselor with Luminous Counseling, has seen the impact social media apps can have on some of her younger clients.
The U.S. Surgeon General believes 13 is too young for kids to be on social media.
Nowadays, most kids have a phone or a tablet that gives them access to social media, whether it's Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram or TikTok.
"They're all different, but you do see the issue," said JaTavia Bradley, a mental health counselor with Luminous Counseling.
She has seen the impact that social media apps can have on some of her younger clients, from self-esteem issues to exposure to inappropriate content and cyberbullying.
"I have also seen some teens, you know, develop eating disorders because of some of the things that they're exposed to," Bradley said.
She said those younger adolescent years are crucial for kids to develop who they are, but with social media, things can become skewed as kids compare themselves with others.
"Social media can just be a lot to take in," Bradley explained. "Just think about it as adults, right? Social media can be overwhelming sometimes. Sometimes it can be depressing, the things that you see."Â
That's why she agrees it might be best for kids to stay away from social media platforms until they're a bit older.
Most platforms have a minimum age limit of 13 years old for users, but many kids who are younger have gotten around that requirement.
"There's no real verification of age, but you can easily alter the age, the year on there, and most kids are smart enough to know that," Bradley said.
She said keeping kids safe online starts at home, with parents setting boundaries and talking to their kids. "Having the conversation of what social media means, how to use it, our understanding, you know, the risks," Bradley explained.
Health experts recommend parents monitor their kid's devices and learn more about the parental settings they can use to add limitations to what their kids can do on social media.
There's no exact age for when experts recommend kids to start using social media, because it all depends on the child.
"Measuring their maturity level and determining that 'my child is ready for this,'" Bradley said.
Though there's no exact age for when kids should start using social media, Bradley and other health experts suggest somewhere about the age of 16 and with parental supervision.
