Evidence Library
Comprehensive data charts, academic papers, and statistical analysis on the impact of social media on children and adolescents.
Social Media Platforms Used by Young Users for Information on Political and Social Issues (EU27 average)
On average across the 27 European member states, Instagram was found to be the most commonly used platform (47%), followed by TikTok (39%) and YouTube (37%). Lower shares obtain information from Facebook (27%) and X (Twitter) (21%). WhatsApp is used for information on political and social issues by 16% of respondents. Other social media and platforms, including Snapchat (9%), Telegram (7%), Messenger (6%), LinkedIn (5%), Discord (4%) and Viber (2%), are mentioned less often by young people as sources of information on political and social issues.
Social Media Use Among 13-Year-Olds by Gender (2022)
Gender differences in problematic media use are highest. Overall, problematic social media use is higher for 13-year old girls than boys. The survey covers 44 countries and regions in Europe, central Asia and Canada.
Status of age restrictions on social media in OECD Member and accession candidate countries (2023-2026)
This chart illustrates the legislative momentum surrounding social media age restrictions in OECD member and accession candidate countries from 2023 to 2026. The data reveals a rapid acceleration in policy activity, with the number of countries addressing the issue set to rise from one in 2023 to 25 by 2026. A significant trend is the shift from political debate to active enforcement. While 2023 and 2024 were characterised almost entirely by proposals 'under consideration', by 2026, the number of countries with restrictions 'in force' (orange) may increase significantly. However, the data also shows that the vast majority of countries (22 out of 25) are still in the 'publicly under consideration' (dark blue) phase.
Support for an under-16s social media ban is high across major voting groups in six European countries (2026)
This chart illustrates levels of public support for banning under-16s from social media across six European countries, disaggregated by political affiliation. The data reveal a striking 'cross-partisan consensus' in most Member States, where support for the measure remains high regardless of ideological leaning. A notable trend is the absence of partisan friction in Britain, France and Germany. In Britain and Germany, mainstream parties from opposite ends of the political spectrum, such as Labour and the Conservatives or the SPD and the CDU/CSU, show identical levels of support. This suggests that, in the regulatory core of Europe, digital protection for minors has transcended traditional party politics to become a universal policy goal. However, a secondary ideological gradient is visible in Spain and Poland, where a clear left–right divide emerges. In Spain, the left is leading the way, with SUMAR (89%) and PSOE (81%) showing significantly higher levels of support than the right-wing PP (63%) and far right VOX (55%). A similar pattern exists in Poland, where the centrist Civic Coalition (59%) leads, while Law and Justice (47%), the right-wing party, is the only major voting group in the dataset to fall below a majority. Italy provides a notable exception to this trend: unlike in Spain, the far right Brothers of Italy (76%) exceed the centre-left Democratic Party (69%). This suggests that, in certain national contexts, the ban is perceived as a means of traditional family protection, which has a stronger appeal to conservative voters. Overall, the general trend indicates that, while the populist and far right (AfD, VOX and Law and Justice) consistently shows the highest levels of scepticism, the social media ban remains a rare politically safe issue with majority backing across nearly the entire European political spectrum.
Support for social media ban in six European countries, disaggregated by age group (2026)
This table shows the level of public support for a social media ban among three age groups in six European countries. The data reveal remarkably high and stable levels of support across generations in France, where backing remains at or above 77% for all age groups. The survey also identifies a 'parental mandate', with parents of children under 18 emerging as the most enthusiastic supporters, with approval ratings reaching 79% in Britain, Italy and Spain. A significant trend emerges regarding generational scepticism in specific markets: while older adults in Britain (80%) are the most likely to favour a ban, the younger generation (18–34) in both Britain (68%) and Germany (59%) is more sceptical. Conversely, 'senior resistance' is evident in Poland, where support among those aged 55+ falls to 41%, and Spain, where the oldest generation is the least supportive (64%).
Support for social media ban in six European countries, disaggregated by gender (2026)
This table shows public support for banning social media for minors, disaggregated by gender, in six European countries. The data reveal a consistent gender support gap, whereby men are notably more likely than women to favour a ban in five of the six countries surveyed. The highest levels of male support are found in France (82%) and Britain (80%), where support among men exceeds that among women by 6 and 8 percentage points, respectively. A significant trend emerges in Southern Europe, where the gender disparity is most acute: in Italy, men support the ban by 10 percentage points more than women (75% vs 65%), and a similar 8-point gap exists in Spain. Poland is the only outlier in this dataset, being the only country where female support (55%) slightly exceeds male support (51%).
Teaching digital skills
This table illustrates the public support for incorporating digital literacy into formal education systems across Europe. The data reveal an overwhelming consensus across the European Union: 92% of respondents agree, to various extents, that digital skills should be taught to everyone in schools and universities. Notably, almost eight in ten (78%, combining "strongly" and "somewhat" agreeing to the statement) believe that these skills should be given the same institutional importance as reading, mathematics and science, and 76% agree, both "strongly" and "somewhat", that this instruction should begin at an early age.
The Detection of Illegal Content (2023–2024)
The staggering 218% increase in exchanged records is largely attributed to a high-volume surge identified by the SafeNet Bulgaria hotline, which accounted for 1.6 million records. Furthermore, the identification of 929,733 "New Records", a 35% increase, demonstrates that despite better tracking, nearly one million pieces of previously unseen abusive content entered the system in 2024 alone.
The percentage of parents reporting that their child aged 8 to 15 years no longer has an account on an age-restricted social media platform versus those who have retained it, by platform
This table shows the proportion of Australian parents who reported whether their child aged 8 to 15 retained or lost their account on major social media platforms following the implementation of age-restriction legislation in Australia in December 2025. The data reveal a significant 'retention gap' across the digital landscape, with the majority of underage users (around 70%) managing to keep their accounts on popular platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. An interesting trend emerges regarding platform-specific efficacy with significant differences between platforms.
The proportion of children using social media platforms who have seen violent content
This table shows the percentage of children using various social media and messaging platforms who have encountered violent content. Exposure is most prevalent on TikTok (44%) and X (43%), with nearly half of young users on these platforms reporting that they have seen such material. Around one-third of children encounter violent content on Facebook (33%), Snapchat (32%) and Instagram (31%). Moderate exposure levels are reported on community and video sites such as YouTube and Reddit (both 26%), with lower rates observed on private messaging services like WhatsApp (18%) and Discord (12%). The lowest reported exposure rates occur on specialised communication and streaming tools, including Twitch (6%) and iMessage (5%). The data indicates a clear hierarchy of risk, with public, algorithmically driven platforms showing significantly higher rates of exposure to violent content than private messaging apps.