The question of what age is appropriate for a child to begin using social media began to circulate when American rapper, producer, and designer, Kanye West, publicly voiced out his concern regarding his 8-year-old daughter, North West, having a TikTok account.

North’s mother, Kim Kardashian, American socialite, claimed that the account is a joint account, and she supervises North. North actively uses TikTok to do dances, voiceovers, or blogs which all started from November 2021.

The majority of teens and young adults on social media have said that between the ages of 13 and 16 is when a child should be allowed to begin using social media, unsupervised or supervised.

Mabel Hunsu, mother of three, said, “When they get to high school, I would say 15 or 16” is the age appropriate for a child to begin using social media, and that is with parental supervision.

The use of social media with or without parental supervision did not change the response of many that believed 15 is the standard age kids can own a social media account. Many of the people that speak up on this issue are high school students, college students, and parents of young children.

High school senior, Nazariah Picket, said “16 plus, maybe even older, I feel like early usage of social media leaves so many problems, like more insecurities, comparing yourself to people, and people being negative.” Reasons like these are why Kanye is against his daughter on TikTok.

“I just don’t think social media is as important as we make it seem. A child doesn’t need to be on social media.” -Nazariah Picket

Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat have a minimum age requirement of 13 years old. The reason being to protect children from the implications of what happens online like cyberbullying.

The amount of time that a child should be allowed on social media was also an obstacle when it came to child safety. Young children from the ages of 13 to 16 should be monitored and their time limited.

Social media does come with its benefits like socializing with friends and family, but there’s more to it that should not be exposed to children at a young age. North being allowed to use TikTok, even with supervision, is not a safe environment that she should be exposed to.

Social media has strong influences that impact any age group, but the younger they are, the easier it is for them to be brainwashed into believing the lies and insecurities it creates. The fact of the matter is this: It’s just not healthy for young minds.