A total of 85% of German adults are in favour of restricting access to social media to those 16 and older, according to a survey released on Tuesday.
More surprisingly perhaps, almost half those questioned between 14 and 17 also backed such a move, saying they would support a law similar to the one passed by Australia last year.
The Australian parliament passed legislation in November restricting access to social media for children and teenagers, allowing access only for those aged 16 or older. The ban is due to take effect in December.
For the survey, Germany’s ifo Institute, a leading economic think tank, questioned 2,982 adults aged 18 to 69 and 1,033 teenagers aged 14 to 17 on their views on social media between May and June.
Researchers found that a significant share in both groups favours restricting the use of platforms such as Instagram and TikTok for young people due to what they perceive to be negative consequences such as addiction, concentration problems, poor grades, sleep disorders and mental health issues.
“The results show that the population is very concerned about the potential risks of social media,” said Ludger Wössmann, director of the ifo Centre for the Economics of Education.
At the same time, he noted, it is not only young people who spend a lot of time on social media.
Some 96% of those aged between 14 and 17 said they use social media every day during the week, which was also true for 90% of adults.
