Opinion on age target for social media prohibition for minors – Respondents aged 15-17

This chart illustrates the views of adolescents (aged 15–17) on the appropriate legal age for accessing social media, as revealed by a 2026 FRA survey. The data reveal a clear 'youth consensus' centred around the age of 14 or 15, with 15 (16%) and 14 (15%) emerging as the most popular thresholds. Combined with those favouring ages 12 and 13 (13% and 11% respectively), over half of the teenage respondents (55%) support a limit between 12 and 15 years. A significant trend emerges when these results are compared to those of the adult demographic - chart #68. While adults favoured limits of 16 and 18+, adolescents overwhelmingly rejected these higher cutoffs, with only 6% supporting a limit of 16 and 4% supporting a limit of 18. Furthermore, teenagers are twice as likely as adults to suggest that the limit should 'depend on the social media platform' (11%), indicating a more nuanced understanding of platform-specific risks.