From the age of eight, a quarter of children in Quebec already have at least one account on one or other of the major social networks, whether YouTube, Snapchat or TikTok. After the age of 12, this proportion reaches 84%.
This is what a survey conducted by the Léger firm on behalf of Ace of information, a media outlet from CN2i, owner of regional dailies, which popularizes current events for a pre-adolescent readership. The results of this survey carried out among more than 500 young people were revealed Friday during the Carleton-sur-Mer International Journalism Festival, which takes place all weekend in Gaspésie.
We learn that no less than 70% of young people aged 8 to 12 say they have an electronic device that belongs to them. 44% have a tablet, 40% a cell phone. Only 16% of preteens report having a personal computer.
Already marked differences between boys and girls
“It’s important not to demonize the use of technology, because it’s part of daily life now. Having a tablet can be a good thing. It depends on what we use it for. Are there parental controls on the content? Does the parent ensure that screen time is limited? What is especially important is that the child is not left to his own devices,” he said in an interview with Duty psychologist Marie-Andrée Sergerie, upon reading this survey.
Specialist in cyberdependence among young people, the DD Sergerie is more concerned about the presence of young children on social networks. The reason: 25% of respondents aged eight in this survey say they already have an account in their name on one of the major platforms.
“Afterwards, we have to wonder if the parents agree or if it is children who created accounts in secret, lying about their age. But in all cases, these results lead us to ask ourselves questions. Eight years old is a bit young to be on social media. The child may not have the maturity required at this age,” emphasizes Marie-Andrée Sergerie.
Obviously, the older the child gets, the more he tends to adhere to social networks. So 84% of children who have reached the age of 12 report being registered on at least one platform, often several. On average, 8 to 12 year olds who are present on social networks subscribe to one, two or three platforms on average. YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat are the most popular.
This survey confirms what we already knew: Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta, are aging social networks, which are outpaced by their competitors among Generations Z and Alpha. Barely 8% of 8 to 12 year olds say they have an Instagram account; 18% are on Facebook, compared to 28% for TikTok.
A study published earlier this month by the Media Technologies Observatory (OTM), a division of CBC/Radio-Canada, was full of meaning. In fact, 36% of Canadians aged 7 to 17 said they use Facebook, while TikTok attracts 53% of them.