Evidence Library
Comprehensive data charts, academic papers, and statistical analysis on the impact of social media on children and adolescents.
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Actions Taken by Online Services When Underage Accounts are Detected (2024)
Data represents the frequency of specific enforcement actions identified across 50 online service instances. A service may be counted in only one category. This chart shows the enforcement actions that 50 online services state they will take when they detect an account belonging to someone underage in 2024, broken down by service category. While "suspending the account" (either alone or combined with deleting data) is the industry standard for high-risk sectors, the specific approach varies significantly depending on the nature of the platform. A significant trend emerges in sectors characterised by real-time interaction. Random live video chat (75%) and social media (50%) utilise the comprehensive 'suspend account + delete data' approach the most. In contrast, sectors such as dating (60%), pornography (50%) and messaging (50%) tend to suspend accounts without explicitly stating that data will be deleted as part of the primary enforcement action. The data also highlight a profound 'transparency gap' and a lack of protective thresholds in certain sectors. Most notably, 67% of gaming services provide no information regarding their enforcement actions; a lack of transparency is also seen in 40% of services designed specifically 'for kids'. Furthermore, 40% of "For kids" services and 17% of "Gaming" services state that they have no minimum age, rendering detection-based enforcement unnecessary. Finally, a distinct 'data-centric' model is evident in app stores (67%) and generative AI (50%), where platforms prioritise deleting minor's data over suspending the account itself.
Age assurance methods employed by platforms
This chart breaks down the technical methods employed by the 353 platforms that attempt to verify age. The data reveal that 88% of these services rely on 'self-declaration'. Advanced, privacy-preserving technologies such as age verification (11%) and age estimation (5%) remain rare.
Age Verification Methods Used by Online Services (2024)
This chart shows the technical methods used by 50 online services to verify users' ages in 2024. The data represent the percentage usage of each method within each service category. The data reveal that government-issued ID is the most widely adopted method, appearing in 80% of categories and serving as the sole verification tool for services in the 'For Kids' and 'Messaging' sectors. A significant trend emerges in high-engagement and high-risk categories, where multiple methods are often combined. In the social media sector, half of the platforms (50%) rely on ID verification, while the remainder is split between credit card checks (20%), ID + selfie checks (20%), and mobile phone checks (10%). In contrast, the pornography sector shows a heavy reliance on biometric and human-assisted methods, with 60% of platforms requiring ID and a selfie, and 20% utilising live chat with staff. The data also highlight sector-specific preferences for non-ID methods. App stores rely entirely on mobile phone verification, a method that also dominates the gaming sector. Generative AI services exhibit a unique profile, with 50% of platforms utilising credit card verification, the highest rate for this method across all categories. Although traditional ID remains the regulatory backbone, sectors involving immersive or sensitive content are increasingly adopting biometrically linked 'ID + selfie' protocols to ensure higher assurance levels.
Average hours of screen use per day "during the weekend (Saturday or Sunday)” by gender and age group
Based on the 2026 Flash Eurobarometer 'Impact of excessive screen time and social media on young people’s mental health', this chart shows how many hours European adolescents spend on screens during a typical weekend (Saturday and Sunday), broken down by gender and age group. The data reveal a clear developmental trend, with screen time increasing steadily as children grow older. Weekend usage grows from an average of 5.5 hours for 13–14-year-olds to a peak of 7.1 hours for 17–18-year-olds, representing a 29% increase in digital engagement over four years. Female adolescents report slightly higher-intensity usage (6.3 hours), compared to their male peers (5.9 hours).
Children aged 11-17 Response to Exposure to Harmful Content
This chart from the Ofcom Children’s Online Safety Tracker 2025 examines how UK children (aged 11–17) behave after encountering harmful content. It compares the period before and after the UK Online Safety Act and Ofcom’s Children’s Codes were implemented. The data reveal that passivity remains the most prevalent response, with almost half of children (47%) choosing to ignore or scroll past the content. However, a significant and positive trend emerges in the area of safeguarding and adult intervention. Following the introduction of the new safety duties, there was a statistically significant increase in the proportion of children telling a grown-up about their negative experiences, rising from 10% to 15%. This suggests that the regulatory focus on safety, transparency, and digital literacy may successfully encourage adolescents to seek help from trusted adults rather than navigate digital harms alone. Conversely, the data show a decrease in 'evasive' private actions, such as deleting messages (falling to 1%) or leaving group chats (falling to 2%). Use of platform-provided safety tools, such as reporting (12%) and blocking (11%), remained relatively stable post-regulation.
Children’s Online Activities
These data from the 2026 EU Kids Online report provide a comprehensive overview of the digital activities and habits of 29,169 children across 19 European countries. The data reveal that digital spaces are primarily used for social connection and entertainment. The most frequent activity is communicating with friends, with 77% of children doing so daily (48% several times a day). Social media is also a vital tool for family communication, with 66% of children communicating with parents or caregivers daily. Watching videos on social media (72% daily) and listening to music (70% daily) far outpace active digital production, only 13% of children report creating or editing digital content daily. Furthermore, 68% of children use the internet for schoolwork or to learn something new at least once a week.
Children’s Views on Restrictions on Social Media
These data from the 2026 EU Kids Online report examine children's attitudes towards social media restrictions, revealing a delicate balance between their desire for autonomy and their acknowledgement of potential advantages. The data show that a significant proportion of European young people (47% in total) disagree with restrictions, fearing that they would make it difficult to participate in online discussions about news or politics, indicating concern for their civic participation rights. Similarly, almost half (48% in total) are concerned that restrictions would make it more difficult to stay in touch with friends, emphasising the social value of these platforms. A key trend emerges in the tension between perceived control and safety. While 45% of children agree that restrictions would limit their freedom and rights, only 33% believe that these restrictions would make them feel safer online. This suggests that young people are sceptical that bans would genuinely enhance their security. Furthermore, a significant proportion (48% total disagreement) would feel less comfortable if their parents knew which apps they used, emphasising their desire for digital privacy and autonomy from parental oversight.
Circumstances in Which Online Services Use Age Verification (2024)
Data represents the frequency of age verification (AV) triggers across 50 online service instances. Services often apply AV in multiple scenarios. This chart illustrates the triggers or circumstances under which age verification (AV) mechanisms are deployed, with data representing the percentage of instances within each specific digital service category. The data reveal that utilising AV "to access certain features" is the most widespread strategy, appearing in 70% of the categories and accounting for 50% of the triggers in the Social Media, Pornography, and Generative AI sectors. A significant trend emerges regarding the influence of regional regulations; verifying users "in certain geographic locations" is the dominant trigger for Gaming and App Stores (67%), and represents half of the triggers for Immersive environments and Generative AI (50%). Furthermore, the data highlight a heavily reactive enforcement landscape in specific sectors: Random live video chat relies exclusively on AV "on appeal" (100%), a method that also accounts for 40% of the triggers used by Social Media platforms following account suspensions. The data also underscore the rarity of proactive safety measures. Verification "at registration" is the primary method for only two categories: it is the exclusive trigger for "For kids" services (100%), but represents only 14% of the triggers in the Dating sector. Similarly, triggering AV due to "suspicious activity" remains a marginal practice, appearing only in Pornography (17%) and Dating (14%).
Civic & Political Participation: Youth vs. General Population (2025)
The 2025 Eurostat data reveal that the internet has become a vital infrastructure for youth democratic engagement, with 24.33% of EU youth using digital platforms for civic or political participation, outpacing the general population by 4 percentage points. This gap is widest in Slovenia, where nearly half (49.4%) of all young people utilise the internet for political expression (only 33% of the general population do it). Youth high participation rates are found also in Latvia (33%) and Netherlands (36%).
Daily Active Social Media Use: 15-Year-Olds (2022)
This chart shows the distribution of time spent on active social media activities, such as messaging, posting content, or sharing media, by 15-year-olds on a typical weekday. The data reveal that active participation remains a dominant behaviour for the vast majority of youth, with 84% of adolescents reporting daily active usage.