Denmark plans to ban social media for users under 15, as PM says platforms are 'stealing childhood'

[TheProle]

Denmark will move to ban social media for children under 15, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Tuesday, saying the online platforms are “stealing our children’s childhood.”

Speaking at the opening of the Danish parliament, Frederiksen said her government would propose a ban that also gives parents the option to approve social media use from age 13.

“We have said yes to mobile phones in our children’s lives in the best sense. So they can call home and communicate with their friends,” she said.

“But the reality is that we have let a monster loose. Never before have so many children and young people suffered from anxiety and depression,” Frederiksen added.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ar-AA1O4RbK

[Scrivener7]

1. That's a great idea.

[Celerity]

2. Sweden pushes EU on kids' social media restrictions

“We’re losing an entire generation,” public health minister Jakob Forssmed said. “We need to move forward fast.”

https://www.politico.eu/article/sweden-health-minister-jakob-forssmed-children-social-media-restrictions-eu/

Sweden’s health minister has urged the EU to push ahead with social media restrictions for kids while insisting it be treated as a pressing matter. “We’re losing an entire generation to endless scrolling and harmful content, and we need to do something about it,” Minister Jakob Forssmed told POLITICO, adding that social media use among youth is the “most pressing health issue there is.”

His comments follow those of European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who said Europe could adopt a similar approach to Australia. The country is set to ban social media for all users under 16. In her State of the Union address in Strasbourg earlier this week, she pledged to commission a panel of experts to study the impact of the Australian measure and provide recommendations on how Europe should proceed.

Forssmed said Europe should move quickly, warning: “We don’t have the time. We need to move forward fast.” Sweden has already compiled research that demonstrates the impact on young people, he said, and the results are clear. “This is a risk for mental health issues. We see it not least when it comes to eating disorders and harmful self-image,” he added.

Health authorities in Sweden issued guidelines last year, stating that children under the age of two should not be exposed to any screens and teenagers should have no more than three hours of screen time per day. The government also announced an inquiry into social media use and age restrictions.

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