Youth's support for a minimum age on social media (2026)

This table shows public support for a government-mandated minimum age for social media use across six major European nations (March 2026). The data reveal a near-universal 'consensus of concern', with over 70% of respondents in every country supporting some form of age restriction. Italy (84%) and Poland (83%) show the strongest support for government intervention. A significant trend emerges regarding the 'digital majority' threshold. A clear majority favours the stricter '16 or older' cut-off in Italy (64%), Spain (55%) and Belgium (54%). In contrast, the public in Germany and Poland is more divided between the 13–15 and 16+ age limits, with Poland reporting the highest level of support in the dataset (30%) for a moderate 13–15 age limit. The findings also highlight the ongoing debate over parental autonomy. While they are in the minority, a significant proportion of the population in France (28%) and Spain (26%) believes that social media access should be a matter for parents rather than the government. Notably, the option of having 'no age restriction' is the least popular across the continent, peaking at just 7% in Germany and dropping to 1% in Poland.