Despite the official ban before 13 years old, the entry of children on social networks is becoming earlier and earlier: 22% of 11 years say they have accessed it even before their tenth anniversary. Early use which is accompanied by new digital habits and the emergence of ever more attractive platforms, as revealed by several studies that Tech & Co has been able to consult.
Earlier and earlier. According to the latest Arch figures, which Tech & Co was able to consult, the average age of the first use of a social network is 12 years. The trend accelerates since 22% of children under the age of 10 have already used a platform, against only 4% seven years ago. And daily use is massive: 83% of 11-17 year olds connect to at least one platform every day, and half of them frequent Instagram, Tiktok or Snapchat daily.
Unmissable meeting of the digital school year for over ten years, the “Born Social” study, carried out by the Heaven agency, also confirms this phenomenon. She specifies “that a peak of massive equipment is still carried out at 11 years old, a pivotal age between CM2 and 6th”, and “that in three children already has a smartphone before his 11th birthday”. Early generalization which naturally promotes their presence on social networks.
Little framed age limits
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To get around the age -related restrictions on platforms, 62% of young people admit to having lied about their age when registering “without this giving rise to a lot of checks”, notes the Arcom.
“You have to be at least 14 years old and check, you have to put your identity card (…) I stole my mother’s, and afterwards, I said, ‘mom, take a photo to see how you will age’ … And then, it was false, in fact, it was for that”, tells a young girl, still in college today.
The Born Social barometer adds that young people under the age of 13 in 2025, born after 2012, that is to say in a world already marked by Youtube, Facebook, Instagram (after its acquisition) and even Snapchat, still declare 75 % use social networks, platforms … to which they are not supposed to have access.
On the law side, it is explained that “social networks exercising their activity in France must refuse registration for their services of minors under 15, unless an authorization is given by one of the holders of parental authority”. In fact, no implementing decree has yet been published.
New uses …
Arch also notes that “the attachment of adolescents to platforms remains very strong. They consider them essential to their sociability. They are an integral part of their cultural, entertainment and information practices”. For its part, the HEAVEN agency’s study observes that video games remain the most significant center of interest among 11-12 year olds.
This phenomenon is particularly marked in boys, 82 % of which declare themselves to be interested in it “all or almost”, but it also concerns girls at a high level (47 %). Humor, manga or football follow in the ranking. The centers of interest also reflect certain gender representations: fashion and art appear more associated with girls, while football and manga arouse more attraction in boys.
Another significant development is therefore noted: young people under the age of 13 have discovered new spaces for socialization, particularly immersive. Indeed, one of the major differences in their new digital uses lies in their habit of ending up on online game platforms, especially the very popular Roblox and Fortnite.
The Born Social study underlines that “online video games are used by more than 60 % of them to spend time with their friends”. This year, more than 61 % of young people interviewed declared to use these platforms to exchange and entertain with friends, against only 57 % for messaging applications (like Whatsapp or Messenger). This figure has increased by 22 % since 2020.
Roblox remains the most popular platform, appreciated in a relatively balanced way by boys and girls. There is also a renewed interest in Fortnite and Minecraft, possibly linked to cinematographic news, to the detriment of Brawl Stars.
Cyberbullying and shocking content
But this digital precocity is not without consequences: 39 % of adolescent girls believe that social networks affect their mental health and 58 % of young people say they have been exposed to violent content, according to figures provided by the Arcom.
“Adolescents are strongly exposed to risks despite their mastery of certain tools” underlines the public authority, which insists that during its investigation, “adolescents have testified to the sometimes very strong and lasting impacts that these events can have on their well-being (lack of sleep, bad encounters, loss of self-confidence …)”.
“I do not remember a life without social networks”, drops a young girl interviewed in the Born Social barometer.
Marc, 14 years old and student of 3rd, and who testified in the study of Arch, recounts his exhibition to unsuitable content via social networks which he uses daily as Tiktok, Instagram, Snapchat and especially Telegram. This last application worries him particularly: he distinguishes a “healthy” face and another “dangerous”, with channels diffusing explicit, violent or pornographic content.
“On Telegram, there are just people who can send you weird videos,” he explains. Marc says he has no real way to filter these shipments, except to block afterwards. Faced with these situations, he adopts a disillusioned posture: “I stop the video, it disgusts me”.
“I think they should make a minister of social networks, who would make more prevention (…) as soon as there is a person who too often insults people, who make videos, they have to pay a fine, a dear fine,” said a 14 -year -old girl in summary.
