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Europe Takes Step Toward Possible Social Media Ban for Children
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- The European Union is moving towards banning children under 13 from accessing social media unless supervised by a parent or teacher, marking the largest global effort to set age limits for platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
- A report by child psychiatrist Professor Jörg Fegert and epidemiologist Dr. Maria Melchior recommends that teenagers aged 13 to 18 should only use social media with safety features, such as limits on infinite scrolling, while toddlers under 3 should have no screen time.
- The recommendations are a precursor to proposed legislation expected to be announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in September during the State of the European Union address.
- Von der Leyen emphasized the need for age-appropriate restrictions, highlighting that the issue is about controlling social media's access to children rather than children's access to social media.
- Currently, European children spend four to six hours daily on social media, with nearly 60% experiencing emotional and psychosocial issues related to online activity.
