Your brain on scroll - the science of habit.
This is Mariam reporting in from the Digital Rebels Club, and our next post is a little different. Have you ever opened an app just to check something, only to find that an hour has blown away? Well, we hope to relight the sparks of a classic debate, yet still more important than ever: Should social media be accessible for under-16s? Your first thought might be no, but what says otherwise? Stick around as we discuss the well-known concerns, and hopefully introduce you to new insight, on the help and hindrance of early social media usage.
Your brain on scroll - the science of habit
Social media can be highly distracting, often equipped with reels and other features, stimulating endless doomscrolling. As children grow, they explore new and more unfamiliar situations, including who they choose to be friends with, what they’re good at and who they are. Children below 16 are approaching the peak of their interpersonal and identity development, which JAMA Paediatrics has shown to stagnate with social media usage and the hours spent online. Most social media apps (like Instagram and Snapchat) are designed to attract your attention through algorithm-based provocation, anything that will evoke a reaction, and play a role in unhealthy reinforcement that leads to habitual checking.
Social media apps are designed to "[maximise] social rewards" by combining unexpected recognition, attention and support, which conditions users to check consistently - hence, habitually. This feedback system also activates in other addictive behaviours like gambling. So, regardless of how it's used, social media addiction can be a concern in early teens, affecting their learning, socialising and recreational activities beyond the screen.
Algorithms and trends are one of the main reasons young people spend so much time online, as they contribute to a sense of belonging and soothe the bumpy road of adolescence for many turbulent teens. Though not everything you see online is real, you might be familiar with the brashness of particular social media challenges. Trends can leave a lasting impression on young minds, and those associated with esteem, such as body image. Teens who are competitive and spend more time online are likely to try risky trends, especially if they will get likes, recognition and popularity. It goes to show that sometimes, it’s not about curiosity or belonging, it’s about unfiltered attention.
FOMO or YOLO:
But hey, Social media isn’t all bad; it helps us connect. On the flipside, some trends have given rise to notable movements, like Hot Girl Walks and StudyTok, which have been found to boost mood and motivation within young people. Knowing this, the scale of social media can encourage people to live productive lifestyles, and could potentially outweigh the harm. Who knew simple things like homework and exercise could help bring so many of us together?
Throughout the past decade, social media has become a mainstream feature, a staple. People clutching at a phone or laptop on the train? Or an Apple Watch while going for a run? FaceTime, even Youtube while we eat (guilty pleasure anyone?), whether you use only one or several apps, it's not uncommon to assume that people strive to connect and belong, with an average of 6 apps, even Evolutionary psychology says it’s in our blood (to belong, not to be on our phones!). Young people may be more sensitive to this as the need to connect is at its strongest, and therefore spend more time on apps.
You might’ve gone to school one morning when all at once, the halls are flooded with a fresh new trend. Hype bags, Prime drinks, and Stanley cups, and you think to yourself: I should probably get one too, they must be good. The good part of this is that it’s natural to follow a group mindset from time to time, we often follow a group’s decision because we believe they’re right. When that math teacher tells the class to raise their hands for the correct answer, even if you’re unsure, then there’s no way all those people answer wrong, right? This is known as informational social influence, which you can learn more about in the experiment here.
The not-so-good part is that conforming to belong isn’t always the right thing. Besides FOMO, shutting out social media is closing the doors of a world brimming with resources. We should appreciate our different interests, preferences, and features, and social media gracefully grants a space for inclusiveness. A resurgence of ASD, social anxiety, and other disorders could act as a barrier to true integration for young children, which can inspire communication that many disabled young people struggle with in person. For some teens, social media is a lifeline, not a distraction, and instead of banning social media outright, what we may need is a safer platform that cultivates meaningful and long-term relationships.
Screen time vs Screen smarts
Kids are inspired by the world surrounding them, and in the past decade, that world is increasingly digital. During the peak of COVID-19 lockdowns, overall screentime had allegedly skyrocketed by 67% in 6-10 year olds [1]. With schools closed, events cancelled, and all forms of in-person connection put on pause, screens became both a classroom and a playground. Classes migrated to Google Meet and Zoom, and typical breaktime became virtual. With that, students spent most of their time navigating the internet. Interestingly enough, OECD’s 2020 report showed an increase in digital literacy in younger children, compared to older children who missed out on that early engagement. This significant shift during lockdown raised one key question: Is the problem screentime, or how we use that time?
WhatsApp is one of the most used social media apps, but it’s rarely mentioned as much as Instagram and TikTok. It’s like the quiet, plastic-lunchbox kid while everybody else is at the school Christmas dinner - not flashy, not loud, but still at the table. Unlike other social media apps, it doesn't exactly prescribe the same mind-numbing scrollathon. Instead, it’s one of those “prosocial” media that enable networking and connecting while still keeping you in the loop with friends and family. Think of it sitting next to LinkedIn, the teacher who brought their homemade tea in a flask.
Not only that, but the emergence of many courses and tutorials encouraged self-directed learning amongst the rest of the world. Learning had become a form of connection. For kids, 30-day drawing challenges and learning to program games on Scratch meant that time spent indoors opened a gateway to fun digital exploration and skill-building for many.
So, let’s summarise. Is social media hands-off for early teens? It’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but the truth is, the world of social media is a long-standing bullet train that doesn’t plan to stop. A new user joins the other 68% of global users every 4.7 seconds [2] [3]. Instead of bans, let’s talk about balance: Social media opens a network of genuine, lifelong associations and enables us to build on and learn new hobbies and skills but on the other hand, falling too deep can disrupt essential routines and activities and lead to serious deficits in our self-esteem, confidence, and creativity. It’s not banning children from signing up, but rather appropriate and supervised screen time to avoid dipping into the danger zone. We also hope to inspire more educational platforms (school ICT and awareness assemblies come to mind) to take precautions for browsing safely. At Flippgen, we plan to launch our first educational toolkit to educate children on how to raise awareness on digital security and have good netiquette. We are keen to present the projects we’ve been working on, so stay tuned, stay safe, and rebel against the scroll. ✌
