Abstract
Social media use among New Zealand teens is almost universal, with most spending several hours a day on these platforms. Yet despite its normalisation, our research shows that a substantial proportion of teens meet the criteria for problematic use, which is represented by patterns of engagement that mirror addictive-like behaviours. Half of the teens surveyed felt they were given access to social media too young, and support for a minimum age of 16 years was strong. Importantly, nearly four in ten said they wish social media had never been invented.
As New Zealand considers an age restriction of 16 years, the teens in the survey provided clear views on what would help if a social media age restriction was introduced. They called for safe, supervised online spaces for younger users, more offline opportunities to connect, and greater guidance for parents and schools to support them through the transition.