Are children growing up too fast in the digital age?

Are Children Growing Up Too Fast in the Digital Age?

In the digital age, children are surrounded by social media. TikTok, Instagram and YouTube are all platforms that influence their daily lives, sometimes from an early age. This early exposure raises an essential question: are children growing up too fast as a result of this constant immersion in the digital world?

Compared to previous generations, children today are much more connected, with immediate access to an unlimited amount of information. Here, École Galilée takes an in-depth look at the impact of social media on children’s development, based on factual data. We give parents practical advice on how best to guide and supervise their children.

Yesterday’s Childhood vs. Today’s Childhood: a World Transformed by Digital Technology

In the past, access to information was limited to encyclopaedias, time-restricted television programmes and discussions in the family or at school. Children discovered the world gradually, following the pace of their immediate environment.

Today, things have changed radically. From primary school onwards, smartphones and social media give young people access to a wealth of content that may be educational, entertaining or sometimes inappropriate. According to a study by the Statista polling institute, the majority of children now acquire their first smartphone between the ages of 9 and 11. Social media is banned under age 13, yet more than 50% of children ages 8 to 12 say they have an account despite the age restrictions imposed by the platforms.

This constant and unlimited access to information is profoundly changing their relationship with childhood. It is therefore legitimate to wonder if some children may be growing up too fast when they are exposed to complex subject matter much earlier than previous generations: world news, cultural trends, influencers, etc. But does this overabundance of information really lead to an acceleration in their level of maturity?

Accelerated Maturity or the Illusion of Maturity?

Regular and repeated exposure to adult content does not necessarily mean that children are ready to hear or understand it. So, faced with this overabundance of information, it’s legitimate to wonder whether some children are growing up too fast or whether they only give the illusion of maturity.

This phenomenon, known as pseudo-maturity, refers to the fact that a child can use the codes of the adult world (language, behaviour, cultural references) without having the necessary emotional and psychological maturity to assimilate them properly.

This illusion of maturity is fuelled by social media, which has a profound influence on how they perceive themselves and the outside world. Overexposure to unrealistic standards of beauty, viral challenges and staged images of idealised lives can lead to unhappiness and intensify the feeling of social pressure. A survey conducted by the Bordeaux University Hospital revealed that 50% of young girls express dissatisfaction with their bodies as a result of their use of social media.

At the same time, access to political debates, international crises or polarising discourse exposes children to subjects that they are not always able to understand. This premature exposure can alter their view of the world and generate unnecessary stress.

What Impact Will This Have on Their Social and Educational Development?

Intensive use of social media also has a significant impact on the concentration and learning abilities of these children who are growing up too fast. It is widely acknowledged that children’s attention span has diminished over the years, largely due to constant stimulation by screens.

Socially, face-to-face interaction is also on the decline. An increasing number of children now prefer virtual discussions to real exchanges, which can affect the development of essential skills such as empathy and non-verbal communication. The time spent with screens also takes away from time spent on physical activities and outdoor play, which are essential for proper physical and mental development.

In this context, schools play a central role. A growing number of schools, such as École Galilée, are raising awareness among their students of the importance of adopting a more critical approach to online content. This educational approach encourages reasonable use of screens and promotes learning methods that encourage concentration.

How Can We Best Support Children in an Ultra-Connected World?

Faced with these major challenges, parents have a key role to play in providing digital support for their children. Here are a few tips for creating a healthy environment and encouraging good management of screen time:

• Set clear rules: establish time slots for screen use (e.g. no screens before bedtime, limited time after school).
• Create screen-free spaces: for example, no smartphones at the dinner table to encourage family interaction.
• Encourage open discussions: talk about the content they watch, the influencers they follow, and help them decipher the information.
• Promote offline activities: sports, reading, board games, etc. Encourage them to spend time without technology to enrich their daily lives.

The role of École Galilée

École Galilée, as an international school, is committed to helping children and families meet the challenges of digital technology. With this in mind, we offer the following services:

• Workshops to raise awareness of best digital practices and the dangers of social media.
• Educational support to help students develop critical thinking skills in relation to online content.
• Ongoing dialogue with parents, to provide them with effective, appropriate tools and advice to help them make the most of this digital transition.

Today’s generation lives in a world where digital technology has a major influence on their daily lives. Do children grow up too fast or simply differently? Rather than seeing social media as a threat, we need to learn how to manage it so that we can derive maximum benefit while reducing the risks.