Using WhatsApp is not for everyone. For this very reason, first of all, we find that in the conditions of service the application itself establishes a minimum age. However, there are people who do not take this seriously, but the truth is that we would be going against the terms of use of the messaging app.
However, not only age comes into play here. There is another series of elements that can be key to knowing if I can really let my little son have whatsapp. That is why we are going to see what are the other conditions that we must assess to know whether or not we should let children use this instant messaging app.
Minimum age to use WhatsApp
If you are currently living within a country within the European Economic Area (including the European Union) or in any other country or territory that is part of it, which are collectively known as the European Region, the minimum age to have WhatsApp is 16 years old. Or even more, depending on the legislation of each country.
Instead, in other countries (outside the European Region), from the age of 13 of age it is already legal to register in the messaging app. This is how they set it in the conditions of use on the official website of the application. Therefore, if an account is created with false information, its conditions are breached, just like if they register under the name of other minors.
However, there is not much control about it. They even affirm that if they cannot verify the age, they will not be able to do anything: «If we can’t verify that the reported account belongs to a minor, we may not be able to take action on it.«.
What do the experts recommend?
Although the WhatsApp terms set these minimum ages of use, experts recommend that children be at least 14 years old to start using this application on mobile phones. However, they confirm that age is not the only criterion to take into account when leaving our children use whatsapp.
This is because, although age is a relevant point, it is not the only element that parents should take into account when letting their children have WhatsApp. In these cases, the maturity of the minor and his understanding to see the risks in this type of applications, they are key elements.
The use of WhatsApp in minors in Spain
As much as this is the minimum age of use established in the terms of the messaging application, the truth is that, according to the data from the latest annual study on digital habits presented by Qustodio, things are changing in Spain. For example, “63% of the Spanish minors between 4 and 18 years old use this communication platform«.
This same study, although it makes it clear that the time of use has moderated, the truth is that it allows us to see how it has gone from 59% use in 2020 among children and young people who comprise those ages, to 63% in 2022 A fact that reflects that, with the passage of time, Spanish minors between those ages are using this application earlier.
