How Social Media Can Affect Younger Kids

When we think about social media, we usually imagine teenagers scrolling through Instagram and TikTok. But what many of us parents don't realize is that social media can begin influencing our children long before they have an account.

Maybe the child watches TikToks over a sibling's shoulder, hears classmates talking about the latest trend, or asks to watch a "Get Ready With Me" video on our phone. Maybe they're suddenly asking for a toy, a skincare product, or a fidget spinner because they saw someone using it online. Even without their own account, our kids are growing up in a world where social media is everywhere, and because of that, they're naturally being influenced by it.

That doesn't mean social media is automatically harmful or negative. However, it does mean we need to understand how it shapes the way our children feel, think, and view the world, even when they're only exposed to small amounts of it.

Kids Learn by Watching

One of the biggest ways children learn is through observation. From the time they're babies, they're constantly watching the people around them to figure out how the world works. They copy facial expressions, words, behaviours, routines, and social interactions.

As they grow, the people they learn from expand beyond just us parents and extend to older siblings, classmates, YouTubers, and influencers. The problem with this is that young children don't yet have the critical thinking skills to question everything they're seeing. Although most adults can recognize when a video has been edited, when someone is being paid to promote a product, or when an influencer is only showing the highlights of their life, our kids often don’t have the skills to think that critically yet. To them, what they see online can feel like real life, which can shape what they believe friendships should look like, what they think is considered normal, and even how they see themselves.

Growing Up Too Fast

In addition to seeing unrealistic expectations, many online videos are targeted for older age groups even though younger children are often viewers. As a result, our kids may suddenly become interested in older topics like clothes, makeup, skincare routines, expensive products, or trends that are simply not meant for their age. When kids fall into this influence of following what they see online, it isn’t to be difficult or purposefully “grow up quicker”—it’s just to fit in. Children are naturally curious and will want to act like people they admire.

With this being said, childhood is already a time of huge growth and change, so sometimes having too much online influence can impede a child’s organic self-growth and discovery. Remember, curiosity is healthy for children, however our kids still benefit from having opportunities to simply be kids.

What Social Media Teaches Kids to Value

In addition to curiosity, children also notice what receives the most attention. This can be great when it comes to praising high grades and hard work, but becomes a struggle when it comes to what social media can promote. Unfortunately, social media tends to reward appearance, popularity, expensive products, and the idea of having the perfect life. Even if younger children don't understand likes, followers, or algorithms, they quickly recognize what seems important through what is popular.

Over time, this may impact the way they think and the things they value. They may begin to believe that looking a certain way, owning certain toys, or wearing certain brands is what makes someone successful or accepted. As parents, one of the most valuable things we can do is remind our kids that kindness, creativity, curiosity, perseverance, and strong relationships matter far more than what they see online.

Again, managing social media impacts on our children doesn’t mean getting rid of social media as a whole. It means understanding the negative impacts like unrealistic expectations and perspectives of appearance, so we can remind our children what factors truly hold value.

Boredom Matters Too

Social media not only influences what children value, but also it influences how they pay attention. Most videos are designed to grab and hold attention as quickly as possible. Through bright colours, fast editing, short clips, and constant stimulation, short videos online can make slower-paced activities feel less exciting in comparison. Reading a book, building with LEGO, drawing, or even waiting in line may suddenly seem "boring" because these activities don't provide the same level of instant entertainment.

Now, this doesn't mean screens permanently damage attention spans. But in the same way social media sets false expectations of beauty standards, short videos set a false expectation that every activity we do should be this stimulating. In addition, younger children are still developing patience, focus, and self-control, so when they're frequently exposed to fast-paced content, slowing down becomes even more challenging.

This is why it's so important to make room for imaginative play, outdoor adventures, reading together, and even boredom! Boredom or slow-paced activities aren’t always something we need to fix. In fact, when we allow kids to feel this way, they are often their most creative because they have to come up with their own ideas.

Once again, the goal isn't to remove social media completely; rather, it's to find a balance between screen time and creative/outdoor time.

Finding a Balance as Parents

Finding that balance isn't always easy, and many of us parents worry that our child will feel left out if they're not allowed to watch the same videos or follow the same trends as their friends. It’s only natural to struggle with this and want our kids to feel included. But the truth is, children will face that feeling regardless. It’s a normal part of life, and something we can teach our kids is that it’s okay if this happens! Instead of avoiding this feeling, we can teach them skills such as listening to what we missed, finding a different way to relate, or finding a new topic to talk about. And this holds much more value than avoiding the feeling of being left out.

At the end of the day, every family has different values and different comfort levels when it comes to technology. There isn't one perfect age or one perfect set of rules for a family to follow. Our goal isn't to keep our kids away from every trend. It's to help them build healthy habits, confidence, and critical thinking so they can eventually navigate the online world responsibly.

As parents, we don't need to have all the answers or keep up with every new app. What matters most is staying involved, keeping communication open, and helping our kids think about what they're seeing instead of simply absorbing it.

The online world will continue to change, and social media will continue to be unexpected. But as parents, we can make sure our children see us as trusted and approachable adults, so when things get confusing, they have someone to go to. By understanding how social media impacts them, we can gain a better perspective on how they're being impacted and how we can better help.