How social media is influencing teenagers and what platforms are doing about it 

Fifteen-year-old Femi sat, eyes fixed on his phone. The soft glow of TikTok’s “For You Page” (fyp) illuminated his face as he scrolled mindlessly through videos: dance challenges, comedy skits, and viral trends. He had only planned to check one notification, but that was two hours ago.

So, while he knew he had pending chores and homework, he couldn’t stop — just one more video, and then one more video. It was a cycle that was difficult to break.

Social media vs teenagers: The digital trap 

Femi isn’t alone in this struggle. A study by Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology and Kaimosi Friends University, Kenya, has shown that teenagers in Africa spend over five hours daily on social media, with 85% owning phones and 80% actively using social platforms.

These teenagers are influenced by what they see and do online and how much time they spend there.

Apps like Snapchat and TikTok are designed to be addictive, keeping teenagers scrolling for hours. The constant influx of short-form content affects their attention spans and their ability to focus on longer, more meaningful tasks. Many teens also struggle with sleep deprivation due to excessive screen time.

While there is no clinical diagnosis for social media addiction, it is easy to see how much people — especially teens — are obsessed with this lifestyle, that it gets in the way of relationships, communication, responsibilities, and well-being.

According to research by University of Delaware Associate Professor Melissa Gordon, excessive use of social media has led to decreased academic engagement, distractions, and less time spent studying, which has impacted these students’ academic performances.

Social media also exposes these kids to other risks, such as cyberbullying, stalking, peer pressure, mental health issues, and exposure to harmful content.

In December 2022, a 13–year–old Egyptian was left quadriplegic after a dangerous TikTok challenge that involved him and his friends throwing him from a height to test his strength. The North African country considered banning the app after that incident.

Studies have linked excessive social media use to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem among teens. The pressure to gain likes, followers, and validation can also create a cycle of comparison and dissatisfaction.

This has caused parents to raise concerns about the obsessive nature of social media and its influence on their children.

Femi’s mother shared that she occasionally takes away his and his siblings’ phones to encourage them to talk to her and each other.

“Even when they’re in the same room, it’s like they’re not there. I have no idea what goes on in their lives, and I’m worried.”

Many parents are also victims of this.

A double life online 

Although most phones have locks, parental controls, and other features, their kids still find ways to skirt around them.

Some kids have taken to opening separate accounts, one clean, friendly, and safe account that may be accessible by family members and close relatives. The other? That’s where they explore freely without watchful eyes.

According to a psychologist who spoke to Techpoint Africa, “For kids that age, most times it is better for parents to explain what is and what is not okay. They need to know what is okay, what is not, and why. You might also want to set a good example for them.”

What are platforms doing?

Some platforms have begun implementing measures to checkmate and balance social media-user engagements, especially for teenagers and kids.

For example, TikTok recently rolled out a couple of tools — family pairing, time away, wind down, and teen following features — that would allow parents to monitor and manage their kids’ use of the app.

These new features allow parents to dictate how much time their children spend on the app and ensure they take breaks from the addictive platform.

Part of the plan for the TikTok “Family Pairing” is connecting parents to their kids’ feeds automatically, allowing them to block off access to the app for several hours or at specific times of the day.

TikTok is saying whether it’s a family gathering, a trip, during school hours, during dinner, at night, or during study, the “Time away” feature lets parents decide when it is best for their teens to take a break from the app.

Another feature that parents may find interesting is “Wind down,” which automatically shuts down the ‘fyp’ page at 10 p.m. for teenagers younger than 16.

In addition, TikTok is also adding a tool would enable parents to check who their children follow and who follows them.

However, TikTok is not breaking the privacy rule as it doesn’t give parents access to check messages, comments, tags, or whatever was communicated. It only gives an outside perspective on what may or may not be going on in the world of TikTok.

While various parent-monitoring tools are already installed on phones, TikTok has made this feature an inbuilt app, making it more direct.

Although TikTok is gradually trying to curb the addictive impacts of its app, it has faced several country bans in a bid to lessen the dependence and hold on its users.

The short-form video company partnered with the African Union Commission’s Women, Gender and Youth Directorate in March 2024 to raise awareness for online safety among African youths and parents.

TikTok isn’t the only platform looking to streamline these addictions for kids and teens. Instagram rolled out teen accounts last year, actively streamlining the actions of underage users on its platform.

Facebook and Instagram have also introduced features like “Take a break” reminders and hidden like counts to minimise social comparison pressures.

Snapchat restricts friend requests from unknown users to reduce unwanted interactions, while the introduction of YouTube Kids offers a safer environment with curated content tailored to younger audiences.

Social media is here to stay, and while young people may have fallen for its charms, there must be a balance.