Evidence Library
Comprehensive data charts, academic papers, and statistical analysis on the impact of social media on children and adolescents.
filtered by Geographical
Social Media Platforms Used by Young Users for Information on Political and Social Issues (EU27 average)
On average across the 27 European member states, Instagram was found to be the most commonly used platform (47%), followed by TikTok (39%) and YouTube (37%). Lower shares obtain information from Facebook (27%) and X (Twitter) (21%). WhatsApp is used for information on political and social issues by 16% of respondents. Other social media and platforms, including Snapchat (9%), Telegram (7%), Messenger (6%), LinkedIn (5%), Discord (4%) and Viber (2%), are mentioned less often by young people as sources of information on political and social issues.
Support for AI Policies: Parents vs Youth (2026)
This chart shows how support for five specific AI-related policy interventions compares between parents and teenagers (aged 12–17) across the European Union. Plotting the regulatory categories along the horizontal X-axis reveals a high 'policy approval ceiling'; total support levels remain consistently high on the vertical Y-axis, never falling below 65% for either group. The highest shared mandate is for the clear labelling of AI-generated content, with 88% of parents and 81% of teenagers in favour. A significant trend emerges in the vertical disparity between the 'strong support' and 'somewhat support' segments for each group. Parents exhibit a much higher concentration of 'strong support' for every policy, peaking at 66% in the corporate accountability category. In contrast, youth support is more evenly distributed between strong and moderate agreement. The widest vertical disparity between the two groups is seen at the 'Age verification' pillar, where parental support is 18 percentage points higher than youth support.
Teaching digital skills
This table illustrates the public support for incorporating digital literacy into formal education systems across Europe. The data reveal an overwhelming consensus across the European Union: 92% of respondents agree, to various extents, that digital skills should be taught to everyone in schools and universities. Notably, almost eight in ten (78%, combining "strongly" and "somewhat" agreeing to the statement) believe that these skills should be given the same institutional importance as reading, mathematics and science, and 76% agree, both "strongly" and "somewhat", that this instruction should begin at an early age.
Teenagers' Attitudes Toward AI (Aged 12-17, 2026)
This chart illustrates the attitudes of European teenagers aged 12 to 17 towards the integration of artificial intelligence into their lives, as revealed in a 2026 Common Sense Media report. The data reveal a sophisticated 'human-first' mindset among young people, with the highest level of agreement (78%) being for the statement: 'To be best prepared for the future, we need to learn to think critically for ourselves, without the support of AI tools.' This suggests that, although teenagers are 'digital natives', they prioritise cognitive independence as a prerequisite for future readiness. A significant trend emerges in the balance between technological utility and perceived risk. While there is high enthusiasm for the statement 'I am interested in AI tools that could help me learn' (74%), and a pragmatic recognition that they 'should prepare for the future by learning how to best use AI tools' (73%), a majority of young people also harbour significant anxieties. Over six in ten (62%) agree that 'using AI tools will make children and teenagers less creative', and 54% fear that 'by the time we are adults, we will be so dependent on AI that we won't be able to function without it'.
Top-5 Main Sources of Information for Young People (16 to 30 Years Old), 2024
This chart shows the top five main sources of information for young people aged 16 to 30. The data reveal a clear predominance of digital-first habits, with social media platforms (42%) such as Instagram and TikTok serving as the primary gateway to information for this demographic. This is followed closely by TV (39%), indicating that while digital platforms lead, traditional broadcast media still maintains a significant foothold in the daily lives of young adults. A significant trend emerges in the fragmentation of other sources: online press and news platforms (26%) trail social media by 16 percentage points, suggesting a shift away from direct news consumption toward algorithmically curated content. Friends, family, and colleagues (25%) remain a critical interpersonal source of information, while video platforms (23%) like YouTube solidify the importance of visual media as a primary information channel.
When you're unsure whether a piece of information on social media is disinformation, what do you typically do?
This table illustrates the typical verification strategies employed by European citizens when encountering suspected disinformation on social media across European member states in 2022. Almost half of European citizens (49%) rely on cross-referencing information to verify social media content. However, specialised fact-checking tools are significantly underutilised, with only 14% of people using them. This 'verification gap' suggests that most users rely on informal peer feedback rather than professional infrastructure to navigate digital falsehoods.
Youth (16-29) Internet Use for Civic and Political Participation (2023-2025)
The chart shows data on internet use for civic and political participation for individuals aged 16 to 29 years old over the years 2023-2025. The data reveal that digital civic engagement has become a significant, though periodically volatile, component of youth identity in Europe. The European Union average reached a notable peak in 2024 at 26.06%, coinciding with a period of intense political activity across the Union.
Youth Perception of Screen Impact (aged 13-18)
This chart from the 2026 Flash Eurobarometer 'Impact of excessive screen time and social media on young people’s mental health' survey illustrates a significant 'digital divergence' across the European Union, showing how adolescents (aged 13–18) perceive the impact of screens on their peers' lives. On average, European youth are slightly positive, with 40% reporting a positive impact and 29% a negative one. However, these figures mask extreme geographic disparities in technological trust. A significant regional trend emerges between the Mediterranean and Baltic states and Central and Western Europe. Malta (79% positive) and Cyprus (81% positive) have the most optimistic attitudes towards technology in the European Union, with 50% of Maltese young people describing the impact as "very positive". In stark contrast, a 'precautionary sentiment' dominates in the Czech Republic (45% negative) and France (42% negative), where nearly half of the youth population views screen time as harmful to their generation.
Youth Self-Report vs Parental Estimates of AI Use (2026)
This chart illustrates a significant 'perception gap' between how teenagers aged 12 to 17 actually use artificial intelligence (AI) and how their parents perceive this usage across the European Union, based on a 2026 Common Sense Media report. The data reveal that, while searching for information or facts is the most common actual use among young people (56%), parents significantly underestimate this functional application, with only 39% identifying it as a primary activity. A significant trend emerges: parents overestimating the use of 'creative' and 'social' AI. They are 20 percentage points more likely to believe their children use AI to create images or videos (47% vs 27%) and four times more likely to believe their children use AI for companionship (20% vs 5%). Similarly, parents overestimate the use of AI to help with schoolwork by 11 percentage points (59% vs 48%).
Youth Self-Reports and Parental Observations of Negative Perceptions of Social Media (in the past 30 Days)
This chart from the 2026 Flash Eurobarometer 'Impact of excessive screen time and social media on young people’s mental health' reveals a significant 'visibility gap' between the physical and mental experiences of adolescents and how these are perceived by their parents. The data show that adolescents consistently report much higher levels of distress than their parents notice in almost every category. The most significant discrepancies are found in 'hidden' physical symptoms: adolescents are twice as likely as their parents to report headaches (33% vs 17%), tired eyes (34% vs 18%) and back/neck pain (24% vs 10%). While parents are relatively aware of their children’s concentration difficulties (27% vs. 32%), they are largely unaware of their children’s sleep problems (30% vs. 16%) and substance use (13% vs. 4%).