Experts worldwide discuss age limits for social media to protect children from online risks.
🔗 Read the article on delfi.lt
[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]
Experts highlight the significant risks associated with the internet, which carry both national economic costs and severe personal harm, emphasizing the urgent need for greater focus on child safety online. Several European countries are considering or implementing restrictions on social media use for younger individuals; for instance, Denmark plans to ban social media for those under 15, while Bulgaria is initiating discussions on a similar ban for those under 15. Austria is also debating such restrictions following a tragic incident involving a teenager with extensive social media use. Experts suggest that the current age limits for social media are inadequate, noting that many children falsely state their ages to bypass restrictions. Recommendations from bodies like Denmark’s Council of Good Governance suggest limiting social media use to those over 15 and restricting access to smart devices until age 13. Concerns are raised over the negative impacts of social media on mental and physical health, data privacy, and misinformation. While some countries are moving towards stricter age limits, experts in Lithuania argue that more decisive national action is needed, noting a lack of legislative updates. Furthermore, while public education is crucial, it is insufficient; mandatory digital literacy programs for all stakeholders are required, alongside increased responsibility from social media platforms to better protect minors. The Social Security and Labour Administration suggests that bans alone are often ineffective without clear control mechanisms and advocates for a focus on support and education for children and families. At the EU level, the Digital Services Act is guiding efforts to ensure a safer digital environment, with recommendations for platforms to verify user ages, and the European Digital Identity Wallet is being developed to facilitate age verification, allowing member states to set a minimum digital age between 13 and 16.
