Evidence Library
Comprehensive data charts, academic papers, and statistical analysis on the impact of social media on children and adolescents.
Generational Perspectives on Device vs. Content Bans
The chart shows how different generations feel about banning smartphones in schools and imposing a blanket social media ban for under-14s. The data reveals a significant "Consensus Gap" between hardware restrictions and age-based platform access. While the generations are divided on whether smartphones belong in schools, they are remarkably united on the need to protect children under 14 when it comes to social media. The data covers 33 countries: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Türkiye, and the United States.
Global Public Sentiment on Social Media Bans for Under-14s (2024)
On average, 65% of people across 30 countries believe children under 14 should not be on social media.Germany is the only country where more people disagree with a ban (42%) than support it (40%), favoring education and personal freedom over strict laws. The study covers 30 countries: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Türkiye, and the United States.
Life-Long Learning: Internet Use for Online Courses by Youth (16-29), 2021-2025
The chart shows data on internet use for individuals aged 16 to 29 years old over the years 2021-2025. The data reveals a significant downward trend in online course participation across the EU-27, falling from a high of 35.4% in 2021 to 22.46% in 2025. Nearly one-quarter of all European youth still rely on the internet for skill development and education, highlighting the internet's continued status as a secondary classroom.
Lifelong Learning: Internet Use for Online Courses (2025)
This chart analyses the use of the internet for educational purposes, specifically: using the internet to do an online course of any kind. In 2025, nearly 22.4% of the 16–29 demographic uses online platforms for formal or informal learning, 6 percentage points higher than participation rate of the general population. This is most pronounced in the Finland (53.84%) and Hungary (43.34%), where online courses have become a majority activity for young people. Surprinsingly, the most significant generational gap is found in Finland where youth participation outstrips the general public by 25 percentage points.
Mental Health in 15-Year-Olds by Gender (2022)
The chart shows the share of 15-year-olds experiencing poor mental health, specifically symptoms of depression and anxiety, disaggregated by gender. In 2022, nearly half of all adolescents (47%) report symptoms of depression and over half (53%) struggle with anxiety. Female adolescents report higher rates of mental health struggles, with 60% experiencing depression and 65% experiencing anxiety.
Opinion on age target for social media prohibition for minors - respondents 18 and above NEW
This chart illustrates public opinion of adults (aged 18 and above) in the European Union regarding the appropriate legal age for accessing social media platforms, as determined by a 2026 FRA survey of more than 26000 adults. The data reveal a strong preference for high age limits, with the ag of 16 (16%) and the age of 18 or above (16%) emerging as the most popular legal cutoffs. Combining these with those favouring ages of 14 and 15, almost 56% of the population supports a 'digital majority' age of 14 or higher. A significant trend emerges regarding the rejection of unregulated access: only 1% of respondents believe there should be no age limitations, signalling near-universal public agreement on the necessity of age restrictions. While the preference for a 16-year limit provides a democratic mandate for the 'hard prohibitive' models currently proposed in countries such as Spain and Denmark, a notable 12% of the population still believes that the decision should remain the responsibility of parents. A significant trend emerges when these results are compared with those of the adolescent demographic (aged 15–17) - chart #68. While adults anchor their preference at the 16- and 18-year thresholds (32% combined), teenagers overwhelmingly favour a younger cutoff of 14 or 15 (31% combined). Furthermore, adults are four times more likely than adolescents to believe that the limit should be set at 18 or over (16% versus 4%), reflecting a far more restrictive outlook compared to adolescents' preference for mid-adolescent entry points. Adults show significantly less platform-specific nuance: they are only half as likely as teenagers to suggest that the limit should 'depend on the social media platform' (5% vs 11%). This suggests that the adult population favours a more uniform, 'blanket' regulatory approach.
Opinion on age target for social media prohibition for minors – Respondents aged 15-17 NEW
This chart illustrates the views of adolescents (aged 15–17) on the appropriate legal age for accessing social media, as revealed by a 2026 FRA survey. The data reveal a clear 'youth consensus' centred around the age of 14 or 15, with 15 (16%) and 14 (15%) emerging as the most popular thresholds. Combined with those favouring ages 12 and 13 (13% and 11% respectively), over half of the teenage respondents (55%) support a limit between 12 and 15 years. A significant trend emerges when these results are compared to those of the adult demographic - chart #68. While adults favoured limits of 16 and 18+, adolescents overwhelmingly rejected these higher cutoffs, with only 6% supporting a limit of 16 and 4% supporting a limit of 18. Furthermore, teenagers are twice as likely as adults to suggest that the limit should 'depend on the social media platform' (11%), indicating a more nuanced understanding of platform-specific risks.
Percentage of 10-years old Having Their Own Smartphone by Socio-Economic Status, 2021
This data reveals an 'inverse digital divide', showing the varying rates of smartphone ownership among 10-year-olds across Europe. While nearly all 10-year-olds in Northern Europe own a smartphone regardless of background (e.g. over 95 per cent in Finland and Norway), a stark socioeconomic reversal emerges in Western and Southern Europe. In Ireland, Belgium, Spain and France, children from low-SES families are more than twice as likely to own a smartphone as those from high-SES families, whose parents may be more inclined to delay purchase. Conversely, Turkey remains an outlier, with the lowest overall penetration rate, and a traditional divide, whereby high-SES children have significantly greater access (41.8% versus 16.8%). This highlights that early smartphone use is influenced by both national norms and domestic management strategies.
Percentage of 11-year-olds who report problematic social media use
This table shows the percentage of 11-year-olds who experienced 'problematic' (addictive-like) social media use in 2022, broken down by the regions covered by the HBSC survey, including European member states, North America and Central Asia. The 2022 data reveal a significant 'early-onset addiction gap', with an average of 9% of children exhibiting at least six symptoms of digital dependency, such as withdrawal and loss of control, before entering their teens. A sharp regional divide emerges between Eastern and Western Europe: Romania (17–18%) and Bulgaria (14–16%) report the highest levels of early-stage problematic use, while the Netherlands (4–5%) and Switzerland (5%) have the lowest risk profiles in the dataset. Although the global average shows gender parity at 9%, striking gender disparities emerge in the United Kingdom and Mediterranean regions. In England and Malta, nearly one in five 11-year-old girls exhibits addictive behaviours, significantly higher than their male counterparts.
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.