The study conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health revealed that major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube collectively amassed close to $11 billion in advertising revenue from users in the US under the age of 18 in 2022.
Using a comprehensive set of public survey and market research data from 2021 and 2022, the researchers estimated the number of youth users on these platforms and the corresponding advertising revenue.
This significant financial gain raises concerns about its impact on the mental health of young individuals. Bryn Austin, the senior author of the study, highlighted the growing concerns about youth mental health and the need for policy interventions to regulate social media practices that could contribute to issues like depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.
Despite claims from social media platforms about self-regulation to reduce harm to young users, the study suggests a lack of substantial action due to their substantial financial incentives.
The study discovered that YouTube had the most users under 18, followed by TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and X. These platforms collectively generated almost $11 billion in ad revenue from these young users, with $2.1 billion from users under 12 and $8.6 billion from users aged 13 to 17.
YouTube led in ad revenue from users under 12, followed by Instagram and Facebook. For users aged 13 to 17, Instagram topped the ad revenue, trailed by TikTok and YouTube.
The researchers also observed that Snapchat garnered the highest portion of its total 2022 ad revenue from users under 18, followed by TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
This study emphasizes the necessity for enhanced data transparency and the implementation of public health interventions and government regulations to address the significant ad revenue generated from youth on social media platforms.
The findings were published in the journal PLOS ONE.
(With Agency Inputs)
ALSO READ | Centre Releases Advisory to Social Media Intermediaries Targeting Deepfake Prevention
