A recent study conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has revealed that social media companies collectively earned over $11 billion in advertising revenue from minors in the United States last year. The findings of the study have raised concerns about the lack of self-regulation by these platforms, emphasizing the need for government intervention to protect children using social media.

To arrive at this revenue figure, the researchers estimated the number of users under 18 on popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube in 2022. They utilized population data from the U.S. Census, as well as survey data from Common Sense Media and Pew Research. Additionally, data from research firm eMarketer (now called Insider Intelligence) and parental control app Qustodio were used to estimate each platform's advertising revenue in 2022 and the amount of time children spent on each platform daily. By building a simulation model with this data, the researchers were able to estimate the ad revenue generated by these platforms from minors in the U.S.

This study further highlights the negative effects of social media platforms on youth mental health. The personally-tailored algorithms employed by these platforms often lead children towards excessive use, exacerbating the issue. In response to these concerns, lawmakers in states like New York and Utah have introduced or passed legislation to restrict social media use among children, citing the detrimental impact on mental health. Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, is also facing numerous lawsuits from several states for allegedly contributing to the mental health crisis.

Bryn Austin, a professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Harvard and a senior author of the study, emphasized the failure of social media platforms to self-regulate their practices and protect young users. Austin stated, "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."

The issue of advertising to children is not new, as parents and experts have long expressed concerns about marketing to kids on various platforms. However, online ads pose a unique challenge due to their ability to target children directly, blurring the line between ads and the content they seek out. The American Academy of Pediatrics highlighted this vulnerability in a 2020 policy paper, stating that children have immature critical thinking skills and impulse inhibition, making them more susceptible to the persuasive effects of advertising.

In response to the growing concerns about social media's impact on children's mental health, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed significant changes to a long-standing law that regulates online companies' tracking and advertising practices. The proposed changes include defaulting targeted ads to kids under 13 to be turned off and limiting push notifications.

The Harvard study also provided insights into the specific platforms that derived the most ad revenue from minors. YouTube topped the list, earning $959.1 million from users aged 12 and under, followed by Instagram with $801.1 million and Facebook with $137.2 million. Among users aged 13-17, Instagram led the way with $4 billion in ad revenue, followed by TikTok with $2 billion and YouTube with $1.2 billion. Snapchat was found to have the highest share of its overall 2022 ad revenue coming from users under 18, accounting for 41%, followed by TikTok (35%), YouTube (27%), and Instagram (16%).

As concerns about the impact of social media on children's mental health continue to grow, it is evident that stricter regulations and greater transparency from tech companies are necessary to protect young users from potentially harmful advertising practices. The findings of the Harvard study underscore the urgent need for government intervention and industry accountability to safeguard the well-being of children in the digital age.