Research reveals Australian children spending over two hours a day on TikTok

Aussie children are spending more and more time on social media – now there is an even greater fear.

• Editor’s view: Age trial failing

Nearly half of Australian children aged 10-15 are spending an average of two hours a day on TikTok, while 40 per cent of kids aged seven to nine use social network X, where they’re exposed to graphic content.

As pressure mounts on the government to raise the social media age limit to 16 amid News Corp Australia’s Let Them Be Kids campaign, startling new data from online safety company Qustodio has revealed the digital habits of our children.

The data extracted from the online usage of 19,000 Australian families with kids aged seven to 18 revealed TikTok dominates screen time for children as young as 10, with 10 to 15-year-olds using the app for more than two hours a day – the equivalent of about 240 videos.

And instant messaging app Snapchat, a platform that allows images and texts to disappear after a period of time, is the social media app of choice for those in their early teens, presenting concerns for more risky behaviour.

Almost half of all kids accessed the app for an average of 93 minutes per day.

Top 10 most popular apps for early teens aged between 13 to 15 years old. Picture: Supplied

Online safety expert Yasmin London said the data should give parents a cause for concern.

“Amid a debate about enforcing age restrictions for social media companies in Australia, it’s important to understand where children are actually spending their time, and the risks those apps pose,” she said.

“While many parents may see many of these apps as harmless distractions, they can expose children to a harmful and dark side of social media.”

Ms London said it was “not that simple” for parents to just ban their children from social media.

“For kids, often their main concern is cyber ostracism, which can lead to its own set of issues,” she said.

“All kids want to feel included and the online world and friendship groups online are part of that now.”

Time spent on most popular apps for children aged between 10 to 12-years-old. Picture: Supplied

On average, kids aged seven to nine spend more than two hours a day on Roblox, a gaming and chat app.

And forty per cent of children in the same age group have an X, formerly known as Twitter, account, a platform that is known to feature graphic material.

“The theory is that kids as young as 7-9 years of age are gaining access to apps like X and Reddit as parents either don’t know much about them or don’t think to block them because they aren’t as ‘popular’ – even though both platforms could expose kids to explicit content like hate speech, porn and disinformation,” Ms London said.

More than 53,000 people have signed a petition calling for the age of social media access to be raised to 16 as part of News Corp Australia’s Let Them Be Kids campaign.

Time spent on most popular apps for children aged between 13 to 15-years-old.

Professor Selena Bartlett, a neuroscientist and author of Being Seen, a guide for parents in the digital age, said that increased screen time can have a negative impact on the development of children.

“We know it’s changing their brain development, their teenage brain development,” Professor Bartlett said.

“Without even thinking about the content, just the phone checking behaviour is leading to ADHD-like symptoms.

“Also the content being viewed is not passive, it does something to them.”

Professor Bartlett added that “it’s outrageous” that children are accessing X, formerly known as Twitter, a platform that recently changed its guidelines to allow pornography.

“We have five year olds viewing pornographic material, not by choice, but by popping up through these different platforms,” she said.

“It’s more than concerning, it’s outrageous, to be really frank, this has absolutely shocked me.

“And that’s why we need to do something urgently.”

It has led to Professor Bartlett making an urgent call to action for policymakers to introduce tighter regulations to protect children.

“We need stringent regulations, content moderation and ratings, the development of child and adolescent-safe devices and technology, the promotion of public health campaigns and mental health resources and increased digital literacy and safety,” she said.

“These measures are essential to mitigate risks and protect our children and adolescents.

“Addressing the influence and impact of social media on Australian society requires a multifaceted and courageous approach.”

Originally published as Research reveals Australian children spending over two hours a day on TikTok