Evidence Library
Comprehensive data charts, academic papers, and statistical analysis on the impact of social media on children and adolescents.
General perception of safety and communication online, by country (Base: All children 10–16) - European Average
This dataset provides an overview of the average subjective feelings of safety, practical agency and online self-expression among children in Europe. The strongest reported sentiment across the region is personal coping capacity: 62% of European young people say they know what to do if they encounter negative behaviour online. However, fewer than half (48%) explicitly report feeling safe online, revealing a significant discrepancy between knowing how to handle negative interactions and actually feeling secure in digital environments. Furthermore, only 25% believe that other internet users are kind and helpful. In terms of online identity and communication, digital platforms offer an important alternative space for self-expression for a significant proportion of people: 23% find it easier to be themselves online than in person, 22% discuss different topics online, and 14% feel empowered online. Nevertheless, intimate self-disclosure remains limited, with only 9% sharing personal information online that they would avoid discussing in person.
Generational Outlook: AI Will Have More Positive than Negative Impact on Education (2024)
Even among this "most optimistic" group, less than one-third of respondents believe the impact will be more positive than negative. There is only a 3-percentage point difference between the most optimistic (Gen Z) and the least optimistic (Boomers). The survey 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.
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.
High levels of digital skills for different types of skills, by country (Skills score 0–100)
This dataset maps the self-reported skills of European youth across four core dimensions of digital literacy. While European children demonstrate high proficiency in basic social interaction, they significantly underperform in critical information evaluation and content creation. Of the 19 surveyed nations, communication and interaction emerges as the strongest skill dimension (European average: 51), reaching peak levels in Finland (70), Belgium (65) and Estonia (64). Technical and operational competencies form a secondary tier (European average: 36), led by Belgium (54), Estonia (48) and Finland (47). However, the data also reveals a concerning deficit in critical evaluation skills, with information navigation and processing achieving the lowest overall score of just 23 out of 100 across Europe, dropping further to 17–19 in Ireland, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Spain. Similarly, capability in content creation and production remains constrained, averaging 24 out of 100 across the region (ranging from 18 in Slovakia to 35 in Belgium).
Individuals who wrote code in a programming language by sex (2025)
This chart, from the Eurostat publication 'Young people – digital world' (March 2026), illustrates the percentage of individuals aged 16–29 who wrote code in a programming language in 2025, disaggregated by sex. The data reveal a significant 'digital creation gap', with the EU average for young men (19%) being more than double that for young women (9%). A significant trend emerges in the disparity between technical consumption and technical production. While previous Eurostat data showed near-universal social media participation, the percentage of young people capable of programming remains low, peaking at around 30–32% for males in Ireland and Norway. In several major economies, the gender gap is extreme: in Ireland, male programmers outnumber female programmers by a ratio of six to one (31% versus 5%), while in Portugal, the ratio is almost three to one. Notably, the data identifies Albania as a unique outlier, where young females (24%) significantly outpace young males (15%) in programming skills.
Information and learning activities engaged in every day or almost every day, by country (Base: All children 10–16)
This EU Kids Online 2026 comparative study dataset maps the proportion of European young people who engage in daily or near-daily digital activities related to learning, information seeking, civic participation and health-related queries. Across Europe, functional and educational internet use is a key part of daily digital engagement: 38% of young people use the internet daily for schoolwork, and 28% use it for self-directed learning or skill practice. Furthermore, almost a quarter of European children (22%) access world news online daily. However, there are stark cross-national disparities in the integration of schoolwork: daily internet use for schoolwork ranges from 76% in Belgium and 63% in Norway to just 18% in Finland. These differences reflect fundamental variations in national education systems and digital homework policies rather than digital literacy alone. Higher levels of informal learning and active news-seeking are concentrated in southern and eastern European countries such as Malta (39% informal learning), Romania (39%), Portugal (37%) and Poland (34% news-seeking). Conversely, daily online civic engagement and public expression remain marginal across all member states. On average, only 5% of young people participate in public online discussions daily, ranging from 1% in Switzerland to 9% in Portugal, and just 3% participate in online campaigns or petitions. Seeking sensitive health information online is also a specialised activity: 10% search for physical health information daily, and 8% search for mental health guidance—though this rises to 14–19% in southern European countries such as Malta and Portugal.
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.
Main Reasons for Social Media Use Among Adolescents
Based on the 2026 Flash Eurobarometer 'Impact of excessive screen time and social media on young people’s mental health' survey of over 23,000 adolescents, this chart identifies the primary and secondary motivations for using social media. The data reveal that entertainment (57% in total) and interpersonal connection (53% in total) are the two main reasons why European youth use social media. While entertainment is the most commonly cited "first" reason (27%), staying in contact with friends and family is a close second, illustrating that social media serves also as essential social infrastructure. Although 40% of adolescents use these platforms to follow influencers or creators, only 29% use them for self-expression or to share their own content. Furthermore, metrics such as receiving likes and followers, are cited as a primary motivator by only 6% of young people.