Evidence Library
Comprehensive data charts, academic papers, and statistical analysis on the impact of social media on children and adolescents.
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Percentage of 13-year-olds who report problematic social media use
This table shows the percentage of 13-year-olds who experienced 'problematic' (addictive-like) social media use in 2022 across the HBSC survey regions, which include European member states, North America and Central Asia. The 2022 data reveal a sharp increase in digital dependency among children entering their early teens, particularly among girls, where the average prevalence (16%) is almost double that among boys (9%). A pronounced regional risk cluster persists in Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean, with Romania (21–28%) and Malta (14–28%) reporting the highest levels of problematic use in the dataset. Unlike the 11-year-old cohort, striking gender disparities become the norm at age 13, particularly in Western and Southern Europe. In countries such as England, Ireland and Italy, girls are two to three times more likely than boys to exhibit addictive behaviours. Conversely, the Netherlands (5–8%) and Hungary (5–10%) continue to have the lowest risk profiles, suggesting that national digital cultures and domestic management strategies play a significant role in mitigating these symptoms during the "vulnerability window" of early adolescence.
Percentage of 15-Year-Old Students Using Digital Devices During a Typical Week by Type of Leisure Activity, 2022
This table shows the percentage of 15-year-olds in European countries who engage in various digital leisure and functional activities (namely: create or edit their own digital content, communicate and share digital content on social networks, play video-games, learn how to do something, look for practical information online, browse social networks, browse the Internet - excluding social networks - for fun). Social networking and leisure browsing dominate digital activity among EU 15-year-olds, with participation consistently exceeding 94% across all analysed countries. Content creation shows the greatest variance: countries such as Greece (80.1%) and Latvia (79.1%) significantly outperform the OECD average of 69%, in stark contrast to Ireland's lower rate of 55.4%. Furthermore, approximately 89% of students in Poland and Estonia use the internet for functional purposes, such as learning new skills or seeking practical information. This highlights a notable shift from passive consumption to active, goal-oriented engagement in Central and Southern Europe.
Percentage of 15-year-olds who report problematic social media use
This table presents the percentage of 15-year-olds who reported 'problematic' (addictive-like) social media use in 2022 across the HBSC survey regions, including European member states, North America, and Central Asia. The 2022 data reveal a "vulnerability plateau" among mid-adolescents, with an average of 14% of girls and 8% of boys exhibiting clinical symptoms of digital dependency. A clear geographic divide remains evident: Romania (18–28%), Ireland (13–25%) and Malta (13–24%) reported the highest levels of problematic use, while the Netherlands (3–7%) and Hungary (3–9%) had the most resilient digital environments. At age 15, the gender gap in digital addiction remains significant across most of Europe, with girls being approximately twice as likely as boys to report symptoms of loss of control and withdrawal. This disparity is particularly striking in the Mediterranean and Anglosphere: in Cyprus and Greece, for example, more than one in five girls report problematic use, compared to around 10% of boys.
Percentage of 15-years old Having Their Own Smartphone by Socio-Economic Status, 2022
This data illustrates the near-universal level of smartphone ownership among 15-year-olds in Europe, emphasising the minimal disparity between socioeconomic groups across Europe. By the age of 15, owning a smartphone has become the norm across Europe, with an average ownership rate of 98%, and minimal disparities between socioeconomic tiers in most member states. In countries such as Poland, Denmark and Ireland, access is almost universal regardless of background, reflecting a shift whereby social disadvantage is no longer defined by a lack of hardware, but by the ability to manage and limit its use. However, significant economic barriers persist on the European Union's periphery. In Turkey, for example, there is still a 23 percentage point gap between low-socioeconomic status (73.4%) and high-socioeconomic status (96.6%) teenagers, indicating that universal access is not yet a global reality.
Percentage of websites and apps with inappropriate content, by type (2025)
This chart illustrates the prevalence of inappropriate and high-risk content identified on 876 children's websites and apps during the 2025 GPEN Sweep. As part of 'Indicator 5' (inappropriate content and high-risk features), researchers assessed how frequently content posed a direct threat to the psychological and physical safety of children and young people. The data reveal that harmful content is systemic across a significant proportion of the digital ecosystem, rather than an isolated occurrence. A significant trend emerges in exposure to peer-related and physical threats: bullying and hateful content, as well as violence, were identified on 15% of all surveyed services. Additionally, the data highlights the prevalence of 'adult-oriented' risks, with 12% of platforms featuring gambling and 11% featuring sexual content. Adding to that is the baseline of severe psychological risks: a combined 20% of services expose children to content related to self-harm (7%), eating disorders (7%), and suicide (6%). These findings suggest that many platforms currently used by children lack the necessary content moderation and safety filters to prevent exposure to high-risk, life-threatening material.
Percentage of websites and apps with unsuitable design features by type of design (2025)
This chart illustrates the prevalence of high-risk design features among 876 digital services analysed in the 2025 GPEN Sweep. The data reveal that 20% of platforms allow children to freely engage with others without adequate friction or oversight, while 15% subject minor users to behavioural profiling. The methodology also reveals a significant barrier to transparency: 15% of services use privacy policies written in language that is likely beyond the comprehension of child users. A notable trend emerges concerning the relationship between business models and child safety. The Sweep found that mobile apps are notably riskier than websites, with an unsuitability rate of 47% compared to 41%. Furthermore, a 'monetisation gap' was identified: free services, which often rely on data-driven advertising, were found to be suitable in only 53% of cases, whereas paid/subscription services showed a higher suitability rate of 61%. Free of fees platforms create incentives for the collection of intrusive data (e.g. 11% geolocation and 12% public-by-default settings) and the use of engagement features.
Preferred information sources for social and political current affairs
This table shows the percentage of people who prefer to get their information about social and political current affairs from the sources listed. TV remains the dominant medium, with 71% of respondents identifying it as a primary source. A significant secondary cluster of sources is closely followed, with nearly equal preference levels: radio (43%), the printed or online press (41%), search engines (40%), social media platforms (40%) and personal networks such as friends and family (40%). Digital-specific and emerging formats are less popular overall, with video platforms cited by 26% of respondents, followed by podcasts (15%) and AI chatbots (9%). Formal institutional sources, such as school teachers or university lecturers, are among the least popular options, with a mere 6% preference. The data indicates a clear hierarchy in which traditional broadcast media still lead, while a broad range of digital and interpersonal sources have consolidated around a 40% share of public preference.
Prevalence of Age Assurance Mechanisms Among Online Services (2024)
Based on 50 digital service instances. Please note that services may employ more than one mechanism, so the totals represent the frequency of use across the sample. This chart illustrates the prevalence and systematic nature of age assurance mechanisms across 50 online services in 2024. The data represent the percentage usage within each category. The data reveal that 'age verification in some cases' (conditional/situational checks) is the most widely used technical strategy. This approach is dominant in the pornography sector (80%) and social media (50%), suggesting that these high-risk areas rely heavily on reactive verification triggers. A significant trend is the continued reliance on the 'honesty box' model: 'Self-declaration only', in fact, remains a primary tool for several sectors, accounting for 66.7% of immersive environments and 50% of both generative AI and 'for kids' services. Additionally, 'age estimation in some cases' serves as a frequent situational layer, particularly for social media (42.9%) and random live video chat (28.6%). The data also highlight the extreme rarity of systematic barriers across the entire user base. 'Age estimation in all cases' is used by only two sectors: Dating (25%) and Gaming (10%). Furthermore, the chart reveals a significant enforcement gap in the App Store category, which has the highest rate of total non-compliance, with 40% of services providing neither age verification mechanisms nor self-declaration prompts. Overall, these findings emphasise that technical interventions are currently used as discretionary filters rather than as universal entry requirements, even in services designed specifically for children or containing high-risk content.
Share of Population Who Had Issues When Using a Website or App of Public Authorities (2022)
This chart shows the percentage of individuals who had issues when using a website or app of public authorities (specifically reporting that the platform was difficult to use) in European Union and Norway. Reported difficulties range from 7.06% in Greece to 39.13% in Spain. This over five-fold difference suggests that the user experience of e-Government services varies widely based on national design standards, the complexity of administrative procedures, and the maturity of digital infrastructure. In a regional context, highly digitised nations such as Norway (34.11%), Finland (23.41%), and France (23.83%) report surprisingly high levels of difficulty, potentially reflecting higher citizen usage of such websites and applications or more complex, multi-functional systems that offer more points of potential failure. Conversely, Baltic and Central European states like Estonia (9.44%) and Poland (7.74%) align with Germany (8.38%) in reporting relatively low user frustration, suggesting more streamlined or accessible digital public interfaces compared to the higher-friction environments observed in Ireland (25.7%) and Luxembourg (20.6%).
Share of users in the EU showing patterns of social media addiction, by age groups
This chart illustrates the proportion of EU users exhibiting patterns indicative of social media addiction (based on responders' self-identification of addiction patterns), specifically defined as the tendency to neglect work, school, or family responsibilities. The data reveal a significant 'functional impairment gap' between generations, with around 33% of those aged 16–30 reporting that their use of social media interferes with their daily responsibilities. This rate is almost triple that of the older cohort, with only 12% of users aged 31 and over reporting similar patterns of neglect.