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European experts have released a new report containing alarming data, prompting the European Union to prepare to take decisive steps to restrict children’s access to social media. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced this during a press conference.
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“It is clear we need age-appropriate restrictions to platforms,” von der Leyen said. “This is not about whether children can access social media. It is about whether and when social media can access our children.”
The report, prepared by child psychologist Dr. Jörg M. Fegert and epidemiologist Dr. Maria Melchior, highlights a number of alarming trends. According to the researchers, European children currently spend between 4 and 6 hours a day on social media, and nearly 60% of them have experienced “socio-emotional development and susceptibility to mental health issues… [resulting in] sleep and concentration problems, and increased rates of depression and anxiety.”
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In light of this, the study’s authors recommend restricting access to social media in European Union countries for children under the age of 13 unless they are supervised by parents or teachers. They also proposed allowing teenagers aged 13 to 18 to use only those platforms that have adequate safety features, including restrictions on endless scrolling through the feed. In addition, the researchers recommended completely eliminating screen time for children under the age of three.
Australia became the first country to ban children under 16 from using social media. Similar measures are also being considered in France, Germany, Spain, and a number of other countries and territories. In 2024, the state of Florida also introduced a ban on children under 14 using social media without parental permission.
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Critics of the Australian ban point out that it is not a very effective solution, as children can easily circumvent the ban by simply providing a false age or creating fake accounts. Recently, the Australian government announced that it would double the maximum fine for social media platforms that violate the law on minimum user age – to 99 million Australian dollars (approximately $68 million).
If the European Union passes the new law, it will be the world’s largest-scale attempt to restrict children’s use of social media. EU member states are home to about 450 million people, of whom approximately 81 million are under the age of 18. However, it is worth noting that passing such legislation will require extensive negotiations and unanimous support from all 27 EU member states, which could take quite some time.
However, the report could very well play a significant role in this process. “The more we learn, and the more we see the impact on our children, the stronger the argument becomes for a social media start date,” said von der Layen. The EU Commission will now review the report and recommendations and present a proposal “after the summer.”
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