Project Lead: Jule Anna Pleyer
Authors: Jule Anna Pleyer, Romy Schönegger
Duration: Q1 to Q3 2026
Language: English (with German summary)
The use of social media by children and adolescents is associated with both benefits and drawbacks. To mitigate its negative effects, an increasing number of countries are discussing and implementing a range of measures. These include bans and restrictions relating to age, usage times, platform features, or content at the policy level, as well as educational programmes, particularly within school settings, and broader societal initiatives aimed at promoting digital literacy (e.g. parent education programmes and community-based activities).
At present, the evidence on measures designed to restrict social media use among children and adolescents is limited. While initial research findings on school-based interventions are available, there is little to no evidence assessing the full spectrum of existing measures, their outcomes, or the ethical issues associated with their implementation.
The AIHTA has been commissioned to systematically synthesise the available evidence from selected countries and to provide a comprehensive, evidence-based resource to support decision-making in Austrian health policy. The primary focus is to determine which regulatory and educational measures are effective in protecting the health of children and adolescents and in reducing harmful impacts. The findings are intended to contribute to both the scientific and public debate and to provide a systematic overview of the current evidence base.