Children exposed to social media posts about violence and suicide, says BBC study

A recent BBC investigation revealed that young teenagers are quickly exposed to troubling content on popular social media platforms shortly after joining. Researchers created six fictional profiles representing 13- to 15-year-olds on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Within minutes of activity, these profiles encountered posts related to violence, bullying, suicide, and sexually suggestive material.

Despite platforms like TikTok and Instagram claiming to have automatic restrictions for child accounts, and YouTube expanding protections for teens, concerning content still appears frequently. The experiment involved daily scrolling sessions over a week, highlighting the challenge of shielding young users from inappropriate material amid the vast variety of posts.

Online safety experts acknowledge the findings as worrying but not unexpected, emphasizing the ongoing need for improved safeguards. The investigation underscores the importance of continued efforts to protect children from harmful online content while navigating social media environments.