The European Union considers banning children from using social networks

(Dan Tri) - European Union (EU) countries may ban children from using social networks, after a study showed that children in the EU spend 6 hours a day accessing platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe is taking the necessary steps to ban children from using social networks, after a report from experts pointed out worrying data about social network "addiction".

"Clearly we need age-appropriate restrictions for social media platforms. The issue is not whether children can access social media, but the issue is when social media can reach our children," Ms. Ursula von der Leyen declared.

Children exposed to social networks too early will have negative psychological effects (Illustration: Pinterest).

Previously, a study conducted by child psychologist Jorg M. Fegert, the world's leading expert in child and adolescent psychiatry, in collaboration with epidemiologist Maria Melchior, revealed alarming statistics.

Accordingly, children across Europe now spend 4 to 6 hours a day accessing social networks, notably TikTok and Instagram. Nearly 60% of children who use social networks have experienced mental and emotional problems due to content on social networks, causing them to lose concentration, have trouble sleeping, increase rates of depression and increase anxiety.

From this research, scientists recommend that the EU should restrict access to social networks for children under 13 years old, unless supervised by parents or teachers.

Scientists also recommend that adolescents from 13 to 18 years old should only access social networking platforms with safety features, such as content filters, limiting limitless content suggestions... Research results also recommend that children under 3 years old should not be exposed to electronic device screens at all.

"The more we learn, the more we see the negative effects of social networks on our children. Therefore, the need to issue a ban on social networks for children becomes even more necessary," commented President von der Leyen.

Faced with concerns about the harmful effects of social network content on children, the European Commission may consider issuing a ban on children using social networks. If such a law is passed, it would be the largest ever attempt to ban children from using social networks, as the EU currently has about 18 million people under the age of 18.

However, for the child ban law to be passed, many negotiations are required and consensus is required from the 27 member countries in the bloc.

In fact, today's social networking platforms prohibit children under 13 years old from registering accounts and using them. However, children can easily bypass age verification steps to register accounts and use social networks.

Australia is the first country to ban children under 16 from using social networks. The Australian government forces social networking companies to take strict measures to confirm the age of participants, and if children register accounts on social networking platforms, these companies may be subject to fines of up to 99 million Australian dollars (equivalent to 68 million USD).

In November last year, the Danish government also reached an agreement to ban teenagers under 15 years old from accessing and using social networks, because of concerns that more and more children are being drawn into virtual worlds with many harmful content. However, so far the Danish government has not issued an official ban.

The British government is also expected to issue a ban on children under 16 years old from using social networks, starting from the end of this year.

In Southeast Asia, Malaysia and Indonesia are two countries that have issued a ban on children under 16 years old from using social networks, starting from 2026.