A recent study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that major social media platforms earned nearly $11 billion in advertising revenue from U.S. users under 18 in 2022.
The study highlighted concerns about youth mental health and the need for policy intervention to regulate social media practices.
It revealed that platforms have significant financial incentives to delay meaningful steps to protect children, with YouTube leading in revenue from users aged 12 and under, and Instagram leading in the 13-17 age group. (Trending: Transgender Actor ‘Purposefully Misgendered’ By Airline Employee)
Bryn Austin, a professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, said, “As concerns about youth mental health grow, more and more policymakers are trying to introduce legislation to curtail social media platform practices that may drive depression, anxiety, and disordered eating in young people.”
“Although social media platforms may claim that they can self-regulate their practices to reduce the harms to young people, they have yet to do so, and our study suggests they have overwhelming financial incentives to continue to delay taking meaningful steps to protect children,” he continued.
The study utilized public survey and market research data to estimate the number of young users and associated ad revenue, indicating the substantial economic reliance these platforms have on younger audiences.
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