News

Laid bare: The worrying influence of social media on year 7 pupils

New research into the effects of social media is warning of a generation of children who are growing up chasing ‘likes’ and online validation to make them feel happy

A warning has been sounded over the deep and worrying influence that social media is having on children as they start at secondary school.

Despite the fact that many social media channels have a minimum age limit of 13, an investigation by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England, has highlighted the fact that three-quarters of children aged 10 to 12 now have social media accounts.

The report – Life in Likes – focuses on social media use among eight to 12-year-olds and warns that children are hitting a “cliff edge” when they start secondary school.

This is because in year 7 their social circles begin to expand dramatically and their use of social media changes “significantly”.

Register now, read forever

Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.

What's included:

  • Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast

  • New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here