Social media and networking sites are more popular than ever. These sites allow us to keep in touch with family and friends even if they’re on the other side of the world. For many children and teens, social media is a big part of their life.
Through popular sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, they can connect with people their age about new trends. While using social media is not bad, it is better to teach children about safety precautions when using it.
What is social media for children?
Many social media sites put age restrictions when creating an account. Usually, these sites don’t allow children younger than 13 to sign up for an account. However, you’ll find that many children below the minimum age will still have accounts on these sites.
It has become a common practice to lie about age on social media as we see it as a norm to have one. Parents disregard these age restrictions because they don’t see any harm in doing so.
Here are the most popular social networking platforms today:
1. Facebook
2. Instagram
3. Twitter
4. YouTube
5. Snapchat
6. Tiktok
These platforms would usually require users to set up a profile, including name, e-mail, birthday, photos, and other personal information. Here, children can connect with friends and family members they know, as well as people they don’t know. They can send messages with anyone depending on their privacy settings. For example, on Facebook, they can join groups where they can access posts and have conversations with members.
Statistics on the Filipino Child using social media
Bata Ako Ph is usually in partnership with the National Council for Children’s Television (NCCT) in promoting the Filipino child’s media wellbeing. According to a foreword of then OIC Rizalino Jose Rosales in the book, The Filipino Child’s Media World, “concerns on children being exposed to inappropriate content across all platforms have been reported throughout the years.”
NCCT then conducted a research project with Far Eastern University (FEU) Manila to explore the roles of parents in mediating the use of children’s media. Bata Ako Ph was part of the regional launching of this study.
Facebook usage
Grade 1-3 students, having their own accounts
About 281 students out of 434 early graders have their own Facebook accounts. In the study, 84.36% use Facebook less than an hour on weekends and 66.98% of them using it on the weekends. On the other hand, about 9.48% of primary learners use Facebook from 1 to 2 hours on weekdays, and 15.80% on weekends; 4.90% use Facebook around 2 to 3 hours on weekdays and 11.69% during weekends; and, 1.26% of early graders use Facebook on weekdays, and 5.21% on weekends.
Grade 4-6 students, having their own accounts
About 81.88% of the 420 students have their own Facebook account. The study shows that over 300 students use Facebook on Monday and dips on the next day. There’s a study rise on Thursday up to Saturday before dipping again on Sunday.
Twitter usage
Grade 1-3 students, having their own accounts
Only 41 grade school students out of 434 have their own Twitter account with 96% of the respondents use Twitter on a weekday. Meanwhile, about 94% of users are on the social media channel on weekends.
Grade 4-6 students, having their own accounts
There are 88 students having their own Twitter account. We can see a rise on Twitter usage on Tuesday which falls on Thursday. The rise continues on Friday with a peak on Saturday.
Instagram usage
Grade 1-3 students, having their own accounts
There are 72 primary learners who have their own Instagram accounts. Based on the study, about 96% of these learners spent less than 1 hour on the app during weekdays and 91% on weekends; 2.53% spent 1 to 2 hours on weekdays, 4.74% on weekends; 1.58% spent 2 to 3 hours on weekdays and 2.69% on weekends; and, 0.32% spent 3 to 4 hours on weekdays and 1.26% on weekends.
Grade 4-6 students, having their own accounts
About 81.88% of the respondents who have their own Instagram account. There’s an active use of the channel from Thursday to Saturday with a decline on Sunday.
Snapchat usage
Grade 1-3 students, having their own accounts
Next to Facebook, about 126 grade schoolers have their own Snapchat account. About 92% of the respondents use the app less than an hour during weekdays, and 86% on weekends; 5.69% users spent 1 to 2 hours on weekdays and 7.90% on weekends; 1.42% users spent 2 to 3 hours on weekdays and 4.26% on weekends; and, 0.79% users spent 3 to 4 hours on weekdays and 1.90% on weekends.
Grade 4-6 students, having their own accounts
There are 153 students who have their own accounts with active usage n Thursday to Saturday. Likewise, it starts to decline on Sundays.
YouTube usage
Grade 1-3 students
There are 89.97% of graders who actively watch shows on YouTube. About 64.77% watch videos in less than an hour on weekdays and 29.86% on weekends; 16.75% users spent 1 to 2 hours on weekdays and 26.70% on weekends; 14.69% users spent 2 to 3 hours on weekdays and 29.38% on weekends; and, 3.79% of users spent 3 to 4 hours on weekdays and 13.74% on weekends.
Top 10 most watched videos
- Barbie and Frozen
- Minecraft
- Cartoons
- DanTDM
- My Little Pony and Black Pink Videos
- Cookie Swirl C, Roblox, and Sis Versus Bro
- 5-minute crafts and Angry Birds
- Five Nights at Freddy’s, Guava Juice, Kaycee and Rachel in Wonderland, Dennis Daily, and Funny Videos
- Peppa Pig, Ryan’s Toy Review, Spiderman, Tom and Jerry, and FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano
- Popular MMOS, Preston Plays, and Slime Videos
Grade 4-6 students
Around 96% of grades 4 and 6 students watch YouTube actively. The trend ascends on Thursday with a peak on Saturday.
Top 10 most watched videos
- 5-Minute Crafts and DIY Crafts
- Minecraft
- Roblox
- Sis Versus Bro
- Dance videos, Gameplays, and K-pop
- Vlogs
- Guava Juice
- Black Pink Videos and DanTDM
- Funny videos
- Wengie
Sorry, no TikTok statistics available for now 🙁
What parents are saying about social media
It seems like parents have little mediation when it comes to social media usage of their children. In Iloilo City, Bata Ako Ph know the story of *Michelle who opened a Facebook account of her daughter. According to some of her friends, she did that because many people find her daughter cute and pretty.
Michelle documented her daughter’s activities, including singing and dancing acts of her child. She said she planned on giving her child access to the account once she’s older. However, things in the way happened so differently.
It all started with a duplicate account with a photo of her child. But the content was a bit lewd. Michelle reported the account and closed down her child’s FB page.
There are a lot of parents like Michelle. For instance, *Sylvia opened a YouTube channel on her daughter who is, as many people say, pretty. According to Sylvia, it’s her way of letting her daughter get into stardom. She hoped talent recruiters will notice her daughter.
“Ka-cute sa iya mag-saot!”
“Ano na edad sang bata mo? Ka gwapa sa iya daw model”
But since she violated some rules on YouTube, her account got banned. Bata Ako Ph has no word whether she Sylvia and her daughter have a Facebook account as well.
And there are those who could care less whether their 7-year old child already has a social media account.
According to NCCT, here are some what children and parents are saying:
“Sanay na po akong manood ng mga action na may patayan na movies (Child, Caloocan City, Private School”
“Minsan po kasi nanonood kami ng movies na mag drugs drugs (Child, Caloocan City, Private School)”
“Mahilig niya panoorin yung mga rampa rampa (Parent, Cebu City, Public School)”
Examples of social media dangers for children
Social media platforms allow children to share anything under the sun, including photos, videos, and personal information. Moreover, it is common to accept ‘follow’ requests on these platforms from strangers. While it may seem harmless because it is in cyberspace, it can expose them to danger.
When people with malicious intentions gain access to their personal information, it poses risks to children’s safety. Here are some dangers that social media use poses for children:
1. Cyberbullying
2. Online predators
3. Identity theft
4. Stalking
5. Phishing
6. Scamming and phishing
7. Exposure to false information and fake advertisements
8. Accidentally downloading malware
9. Exposure to violence and nudity
10. Spontaneous uploading of inappropriate content such as embarrassing or provocative photos or videos
Social media can be a highly toxic place to be for children. As anyone can be anonymous online, it is easier for criminals to act without getting caught. Exposing children online without proper guidance and regulation may lead to adverse effects on their identity growing up.
Is your child under threat online?
Here are some crucial warning signs that a child may be under threat online:
1. They are secretive about their online activities.
2. They can’t keep their hands off of social media.
3. They quickly close windows or hide their screen when you walk by.
4. They create multiple accounts on social media platforms.
5. They refuse to talk about social media.
6. They download sexual or violent content online.
7. They receive messages or calls from people you don’t recognize.
Remember, the online space is not entirely safe for children to navigate. While it can open doors for them to learn, it can also expose them to serious risks and dangers. Always be vigilant in ensuring your child’s online safety in social media platforms.
How can children be safe in social media?
Children are naturally curious beings. If left unsupervised in their social media usage, they may be put in a situation that can risk their privacy and safety. It is crucial for parents to teach children about the possible dangers in social media. As such, you have to teach them guidelines on how they can stay safe while navigating these sites.
1. Tell them to set their privacy settings to private. Since social media sites are public platforms, limiting stranger’s access to your child’s account is optimum. By limiting their privacy settings, only people they know will have access to their posts and personal information.
2. Always remind them not to accept ‘follow’ requests from strangers. It also includes ignoring messages from strangers.
3. Teach them to be careful about what they post and share on their accounts. Also, teach them proper online etiquettes when it comes to using the internet.
4. Remind them that the things they post online will stay there for years on end. Inappropriate social media posts may damage their reputation years later when they’re applying for a job or to universities. Many employers and universities do a background check on candidates’ social media sites that can dictate their decision.
5. Monitor your child’s online activities and the applications that they are using. As much as possible, try to appear interested in it to encourage them to be open to you.
6. Set a time limit on when children can use the family computer or their mobile devices.
7. Have online protections that can block suspicious websites and downloads.
8. Set up child-friendly search engines to filter out inappropriate sites. Or you can also turn on and modify the safe search setting on search engines that they use.
*Change of names to protect the identity of the individuals
This is an ongoing piece on OSEC. Watch out for more articles, information materials, and stories from us.
This is a series of reports and talks with regard to the safety of children online. Every week, we have information and interviews for our campaign
#bataakosafetyko
Research done by
Gentallan, P.V.S., Bueno A.P.D. Hilario J.I.A., Abanto, F.L., Francisco, J.C. & Guitierrez J.P.G. (2019). The Filipino Child’s Media World: Media Consumption, Parental Mediation Strategies, and Elementary Learner’s Classroom Performance(1st ed). Pasig City: National Council for Children’s Television.
