Evidence Library
Comprehensive data charts, academic papers, and statistical analysis on the impact of social media on children and adolescents.
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Trends in the Identification of Child Sexual Abuse Material (2020–2024)
The data reveals a record-breaking surge in the identification of CSAM, with 2024 figures surpassing the previous five-year peak by over 140%. The most alarming metric is the volume of confirmed illegal records, which jumped by 202% in a single year to reach 1.63 million.
Victim Demographics by Biological Sex
Female victims continued to be overwhelmingly represented, comprising 98.71% of reported cases, an increase from 94.60% in 2023. In contrast, the percentage of male victims has decreased significantly, dropping from 3.66% in 2023 to just 0.76% in 2024. Cases involving both sexes have also declined slightly, representing 0.53% of reports. These trends highlight the persistent disproportionate representation of female victims while reflecting a sharp decrease in male victims and a minor reduction in cases involving both sexes.
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 Problematic Social Media Use and Online Engagement
Approximately 1 in 10 adolescents now exhibits problematic social media behavior (addictive-like), defined by clinical, addiction-like symptoms such as withdrawal and inability to control usage. Differences in problematic SMU were seen across age groups. Prevalence was highest among 13-year-olds (12%) and lowest in 11-year-olds (9%).
The survey covers 44 countries and regions in Europe, central Asia and Canada.
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%).
Youth Symptoms by Weekend Screen Time Intensity
This chart from the 2026 Flash Eurobarometer 'Impact of excessive screen time and social media on young people’s mental health' clearly shows the relationship between the intensity of weekend screen time and the prevalence of physical and psychological symptoms among 13–18-year-old adolescents. The data show that, as screen time increases, the reporting of all measured symptoms, ranging from tired eyes to substance use, rises in a near-linear fashion. Among the heaviest users (12+ hours per day), the prevalence of exhaustion and concentration issues is almost triple that of light users (under 2 hours). A significant trend emerges at the six-hour mark, which appears to be a critical 'acceleration point' for digital harm. Once adolescents exceed 6 hours of weekend screen time, the percentage reporting sleep problems (33%) and difficulty focusing (37%) increases sharply and continues to rise until it reaches a saturation point affecting nearly half the population in the 10–12-hour bracket. Notably, high-risk indicators such as substance use (tobacco, alcohol and drugs) more than double when usage increases from 4 hours (10%) to 12 hours (23%).