The news that Meta last week lowered the minimum age for WhatsApp in the EU and Britain from 16 to 13 was branded ‘tone deaf’ by campaigners. And with mental health and increased phone use among young people in particular becoming a growing problem, it’s no surprise that parents and caregivers will also be concerned about how the latest change will affect their young teens.
While it may seem like a more innocuous app, co-founder of campaign group Smartphone Free Childhood Daisy Greenwell, commenting on the decision, said it could work “as a gateway drug to the rest of the social media apps”. Now speaking to Yahoo UK, BACP registered counselor Georgina Sturmer has similar concerns, as she shares tangible tips on how to help protect young people’s mental health on their devices in the face of increasing access.
Mental health risks of the lower age limit
“The challenge with WhatsApp is that we often think of it as completely benign. A fun and efficient way to stay in touch with people and share information. But that ignores its addictive quality, as it drives us to comment and get in touch to make,” says Sturmer.
“This can lead to anxiety and worry about ignoring messages, or being ignored, or being left out. It can push us to respond to peer pressure or toxic friendship dynamics. And children don’t always understand the full implications of the messages they receive. can share and send. Even once our phones are in bed or set to downtime, it can be hard to mentally switch off from the FOMO that comes with not knowing what’s happening in the app.
“Young minds are not prepared for some of the content that is spreading like wildfire on WhatsApp. They can forward it without thinking and become complicit in its spread. And once seen, it is difficult to ‘unseen’ and for children to be protected and remain innocent.”
The confidential counselor warns that if we see WhatsApp as just now is a simple messaging app, then parents and guardians are less likely to force or encourage children to use safety features, which in itself can make this type of app potentially more harmful.
An addition to a widespread problem
It should be noted that the new update is in line with the general minimum age of 13 that already applies to WhatsApp worldwide. And while the concerns are valid, it’s not just a WhatsApp problem, with 13 generally being the existing minimum age for other social and messaging platforms, including Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and X.
However, many think it is a shame to make the problem even worse and ignore warnings from experts. “Smartphone use is dominating childhood and adolescence in an unprecedented way. The reality is that many children are using phones and apps at increasingly younger ages,” says Sturmer.
“Smartphones offer us so many different things: information, connection, communication, entertainment. But the challenge is that it all comes at a price. Many of the apps and tools we use on our phones have an addictive quality. And once we use one app, it’s easy to see how this could become a ‘gateway’ to spending more time on our phones and accessing more content.
“These apps make it so much easier for our children to access content – either by design or by accident – that they are simply not mature enough to understand or process. They may see images or messages that make them feel scared or worried or that encourage them to form views and opinions that we might consider worrying.
“When we think about the impact this can have when we’re young and our brains are still developing – and we’re figuring out who we are – we can understand that this could come at a cost.”
The overall increased phone use among young teens can also prevent them from participating in activities in person or using their imaginations on their own. “It can make it harder for us to connect with the real world, to develop our social skills, to understand how to do research and inquiry, and to allow ourselves to be bored. To let our minds wander and be creative and explore and come up with new ways to entertain and express ourselves.”
How to protect young people’s mental health through phone apps
1. Encourage ‘offline’ activities
While it may not be about completely saying ‘no’ to online activities, it is important that this is offset by as many ‘offline’ activities as possible. “Find a way to nurture your child’s interests and help them be engaged and creative without their phone,” says Sturmer.
What does your child like to do and how can you help bring more of that into his life?
2. Be a role model.
This one can help shed light on the addiction adults also experience to messaging and social media platforms, and maybe even get you off your phone more.
“Kids copy what we do, not what we say. So if you want your child to spend less time on messaging apps, make sure they see you participating in real communication,” Sturmer advises.
3. Embrace the positive side of communication apps
Yes, for some it may be about partially accepting the world we live in, if you want them to respect your safety guidelines and not hide things from you.
“If we’re all doom and gloom, it’s possible that our children will simply tune out when we offer them guidance or boundaries. Recognize that these apps can be a useful way to stay connected to people,” says the counselor.
4. Set clear rules about passwords, screen time and phone ownership
“If your child has a phone, it’s important that he or she understands your rules and boundaries. You may decide to set time limits or insist on ‘screen-free’ zones in your home,” Sturmer says.
“And it can be helpful to remind your child that you want to protect him or her, and that you reserve the right to check his or her phone, especially if you’re paying the bill!”
If you start this early it will help you get used to it.
5. Encourage dialogue
“It’s difficult to find the right balance, but we want our children to be able to talk to us. When we encourage dialogue at home, our children are more likely to come to us with their concerns without fear of retaliation or punishment. ,” she explains.
So while the concerns of mental health experts, child safety experts, teachers and doctors (the list could go on) are all valid, and campaigners continue to fight to improve online safety for young people, hopefully it is reassuring to know that this is not the case. completely powerless when it comes to your young teens’ phone use in the meantime.
A WhatsApp spokesperson said: “We’re giving all users options to control who can add them to groups and the first time you receive a message from an unknown number we’ll give you the option to block and report the account.”
Here you’ll find WhatsApp’s Teen Information Center, how to stay safe on the WhatsApp page, and how to change the group privacy settings page.
Watch: Meta under fire for changing the minimum age for ‘tone deaf’ on WhatsApp