Social media usage among children surged dramatically between 2019 and 2022, replacing traditional developmental activities according to University of South Australia researchers. The study tracked over 14,000 students ages 11 to 14 and found daily social media use jumped from 26 percent to 85 percent. Non-social media users dropped from 31 percent to just 3 percent during the four-year period. Reading for pleasure declined sharply, with children who never read for fun rising from 1 in 10 to 1 in 2. Arts participation plummeted from 74 percent to 30 percent, while music activity fell from 30 percent to 15 percent. Study author Mason Zhou noted that unlike other pandemic activities that returned to normal levels, social media remained elevated. The research coincides with Australia's upcoming social media restrictions for children under 16. (Story URL)
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