Harvard study reveals. Social media giants rake in $11bn from kids' ads in 2022

Social media has long been recognized as a significant source of revenue. Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health have delved into social media earnings from advertisements targeting young people. The study considered Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.

The Harvard researchers disclosed that social media platforms in 2022 made nearly 11 billion dollars from ads aimed at the young populace. Of this amount, 2.1 billion was generated by clicks from children aged 12 and under, with the remaining 8.6 billion brought in by users aged 13 to 17.

YouTube made the most revenue from ads targeting users aged 12 and under, totaling 959.1 million dollars. In second place, Instagram generated an impressive 801.1 million dollars, followed by Facebook with revenues of 137.2 million dollars.

Instagram led the revenue race among users aged 13-17, bringing in 4 billion dollars. TikTok was the runner-up, making 2 billion dollars, while YouTube earned a respectable 1.2 billion dollars.

According to the researchers, as of 2022, there were 49.7 million users aged under 18 registered on YouTube in the USA. This was followed by 18.9 million on TikTok, 18 million on Snapchat, 16.7 million on Instagram, 9.9 million on Facebook, and 7 million on Twitter.

"Our finding that social media platforms generate substantial revenues from ads aimed at young people underscores the need for greater transparency in data, as well as interventions encouraging both public health measures and governmental regulations," said the study's lead author, Dr. Amanda Raffoul, in a statement released by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The study's findings are indeed concerning. The researchers suggest this could catalyze a discussion about social media regulations and advertising practices. "Given the concerns surrounding young people's mental health, more and more policymakers are striving to introduce regulations aimed at curbing practices on social media that may contribute to depression, anxiety disorders, or eating disorders," adds Prof. Bryn Austin, a co-author of the analysis published in "PLOS ONE," in a statement for Harvard.