Perceptions of Efforts to Protect Adolescent Wellbeing Online

This chart from the 2026 Flash Eurobarometer 'Impact of excessive screen time and social media on young people’s mental health' illustrates the 'confidence gap' between adolescents and parents regarding the effectiveness of current online safety measures. The data reveal a clear hierarchy of trust, with both groups identifying parents and relatives (75% of young people and 71% of parents) as the most effective individuals in safeguarding well-being. However, a significant difference emerges when evaluating institutional and corporate responsibility. A significant trend visible is the scepticism of parents towards external actors. They are 15 percentage points less likely than their children to believe that social media platforms are doing enough (37% vs. 52%), and 11 percentage points less likely to trust the efforts of public authorities (42% vs. 53%). Notably, while a majority of young people (52%) believe that social media platforms are doing enough, only a minority of parents (37%) share this view. This represents the lowest level of confidence in the entire dataset.