»Soziale Medien sollten in der EU nur eingeschränkt für Kinder unter 13 Jahren zugänglich sein«

The physical and mental health risks social media and other digital services pose to minors are extensive. In terms of physical health, excessive screen time replaces outdoor play and sport and can impact children’s health, fitness and sleep. Using social media+ and devices at an early age displaces hands-on exploration and in-person social interactions. This may affect socio-emotional development and susceptibility to mental health issues. Prolonged device use can also provoke problems, such as musculoskeletal issues and digital eye strain.

The risks that minors are exposed to criminal and illegal content online are considerable. Both adults and minors purposefully exploit social media and other digital services, including gaming platforms, to engage with children and adolescents. Risks include exposure to child sexual abuse (material), grooming, cyberbullying, radicalisation and incitement to commit illegal, violent or terrorist acts. The widespread use of AI tools poses serious threats to children and adolescents from the production of synthetic child sexual abuse material (for example, deepfakes). These misuses have drastic effects on minors’ development, their mental and physical health, and – in the most serious cases – may cost their lives.

The wide adoption of social media and other digital services has made policymakers and parents extremely worried about the threats children and adolescents face online. While age restrictions for access to social media and other digital services have been met with criticism, they may be a necessary precautionary step until social media+ spaces are shown to be safe to be accessed by children and adolescents or until safe alternatives emerge. Age restrictions are not about making parents and caregivers or children and adolescents themselves primarily responsible for minors’ safety online. Neither are they about letting providers ‘off the hook’. 

Social media and other digital services providers retain primary responsibility for the safety of the services they develop and provide. The burden of proof needs to be on providers, not regulators, parents and children. Until they demonstrate that their services are safe by design, social media and other digital services providers should have restricted access to children under the age of 13 in the EU. In addition to EU-wide restrictions, further precautionary age restrictions may be introduced by Member States for adolescents older than 13.

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