Some 65% of Japanese students from the fourth to sixth grades used at least one form of social media in 2024, up from 37% in 2019, according to a recent survey by researchers at mobile carrier NTT Docomo.

The study, released last week by NTT Docomo’s Mobile Society Research Institute, found that girls in those grades were more active social media users, with 75% of girls using social media compared to 53% for boys. The figure jumps to 96% for female junior high school students.

The survey also showed that more children are starting to use social media from an earlier age.

Among the types of social media, messaging app Line remains the most popular app among fourth to sixth graders at 61%, followed by TikTok (29%) and Instagram (15%). By the time they become junior high school students, typically from the age of 13 to 15, 92% of them are using Line, followed by Instagram at 52%.

Instagram is rapidly increasing in popularity among junior high school students, with its usage growing steadily from 30% five years ago to 52% in 2024.

The Kinki region, which includes Osaka Prefecture, leads the country in youth social media adoption, with 68% of elementary and junior high schoolers using some form of social media. Past surveys showed that children in the Kinki region tend to start using smartphones earlier than in other regions.

The lowest prevalence of social media usage was found in the combined Hokkaido and Tohoku region, with 54% of elementary schoolers on social media.

A separate survey released by NTT Docomo in January also showed that smartphone ownership is also on the rise.

In the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo, 52% of students in grades four through six reported having their own device — up 10 percentage points from the previous year and triple the level in 2018.

With the new school year underway, families are confronting tough choices about screen time and digital boundaries. Public discourse around children’s social media use remains sharply divided. Government officials continue to urge parents to set up parental controls, limit exposure to explicit content and engage in open conversations with their children about responsible online behavior.