Report warns children "aren't ready" for the pressures of social media
The Children's Commissioner for England is concerned.
There are concerns young children are "ill-equipped'' for the "avalanche of pressure'' they face on social media as they head into secondary school.
The Children's Commissioner for England has warned the social media world begins to dominate their life, with many craving and seeing likes and comments as a way of validating their identity.
In a report published by the commissioner, called Life In Likes, it states that children become increasingly anxious about their online image as they begin Year 7.
Anne Longfield said it's been known for a while that more and more children under 13 are using social media apps, despite being below the minimum age limit.
"What starts as fun usage of apps - children are using it with family and friends and to play games when they are in primary school - turns into an avalanche of pressure when children really are faced with a cliff edge of social media interaction when they start secondary school,'' she said.
Some Year 7 children described how receiving notifications from across the social media platforms, especially if there were a number of them, was distracting, time consuming and stressful to manage.
Describing the start of secondary school as a "very pressured time for children anyway'', the commissioner said it is likely that by the age of 11-12 most are likely to have a smartphone.
Pressed on whether social media use can be detrimental, Ms Longfield said it provides a way of children passing judgment on the popularity of others and what they look like, and can be "very negative for children''.
"We know it is hugely damaging for children in terms of their self identity, in terms of their confidence, but also in terms of their ability to develop themselves as individuals,'' she said.
"So they are ill-equipped when they enter secondary school, and we'd like schools, and parents and social media companies to help them prepare for what that means emotionally.''
Calling on schools and parents to prepare children for this change in social media use towards the end of primary school, the commissioner also warned it needs to be dealt with "swiftly''.
"It is something which if we don't deal with now, it will mean that it grows over time and children will have greater problems as they move through secondary school,'' she added.
With many social media platforms having an over-13 age limit, the commissioner said it is clear companies are "still not doing enough'' to stop younger children using them.