Social media only for ages 13 and up? The demand is justified

Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok should only be allowed to be used by children 13 and older, according to a group of experts from the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. Furthermore, use should be regulated until they reach adulthood. This demand is justified, and politicians should definitely comply with it. In doing so, they must prevail over the resistance of the operators, which is certainly to be expected.

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Because they know exactly what they're doing. They'd rather profit from advertising revenue than protect young people. Their business principle is based on gaining as much attention as possible and retaining users for as long as possible. They design their platforms in such a way that it's difficult to voluntarily reduce usage time. Young people are particularly susceptible to this – partly because their brains aren't yet fully developed.

Children and adolescents in Germany spend an average of three and a half hours a day using social media, and as many as ten percent exhibit addictive behavior. Smartphone use robs them of time for all the things that are valuable for their development—playing outside, meeting friends in the analog world, and pursuing hobbies. And it harms their mental health—studies show that constant use is associated with a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.

More comprehensive data is still lacking: Nevertheless, action is needed. The researchers base their recommendation on the "precautionary principle," and they are absolutely right. Large-scale studies that investigate the connections in more detail take a lot of time – while technological innovations are being adopted at breakneck speed, with unforeseeable consequences. It would be wrong to wait to introduce regulations until another generation grows up completely without protection from the harmful influences.