Many sites, including Instagram and Snapchat, require users to be at least thirteen years old in order to create an account. Then how are these 10-year-olds able to use social media? The accessibility of social media and seeing how easy it is for under age adolescents to get on these platforms despite there being age restrictions makes me think that social media platforms should make it harder to create an account. This could help adolescents from being exposed to these platforms in their vulnerable years. 

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

In developed countries, 40% of 10-year-olds use Instagram and Snapchat, with that number doubling by the age of 14 years old. The study reported that the individuals' levels of self-esteem declined over time as their social media use increased and their self-awareness increased. By being introduced to social media at a very young age, adolescents become prone to using these forms of social media daily. By using the social websites more and more, users tend to feel worse about their outward appearance, and in turn, may post more to receive positive feedback. This creates a cycle of comparing one self to what they see on social media, and then trying to create images of their best self to receive positive feedback to increase their self-esteem. 

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