A majority of Germans support stricter age restrictions on social media use, according to the results of a representative Ifo Institute education survey conducted among adults and young people from across Germany, BTA reports.
According to the survey, 85% of adults would like the minimum age for having a social media account to be 16. Even among 14- to 17-year-olds, a relative majority of respondents, 47%, are “in favor” this idea.
Many see negative consequences for children and young people, for example for their mental health and school performance.
“The results show that there are serious concerns among the population about the possible risks associated with social media“, says Ludger Wössmann, director of the Ifo Center for the Economics of Education.
“It is striking that even many young people are in favor of stricter rules“, adds researcher Vera Freundl.
Social media already plays a central role in the daily lives of the German population: 78% of young people and 58% of adults spend more than an hour a day on social media during the week. However, 47% of adults would prefer to live in a world without social media, while only 40% would prefer to live in a world with social media.
In contrast, 68% of young people prefer to live in a world with social media.
There is also support for the idea of banning smartphones in schools. 64% of adults and 57% of young people want to ban the use of mobile phones during lessons; in secondary schools, the shares are 63% and 58% respectively. At the same time, 66% of young people would like to see the use of artificial intelligence taught in the classroom.
“This shows that adolescents want clear limits on distracting technologies, but targeted support for promising digital skills“, says co-author Katharina Wedel.