Social media has become an integral part of the daily lives of children and adolescents. Internationally, there is growing concern about possible negative effects on mental health, sleep, wellbeing, and social development.
AIHTA examined what measures selected countries have introduced or are considering to protect children and adolescents, what scientific evidence exists on their benefits and risks, and what is known about their ethical implications. The measures reviewed included age-based access restrictions, partial restrictions on platform features, content, and usage time, as well as family- and education-based measures.
The key finding is that current evidence can neither reliably confirm nor rule out the effectiveness of any particular regulatory measure. This lack of robust evidence therefore shifts the burden of justification onto ethical-normative arguments. Moreover, any potential effectiveness depends on successful implementation, particularly reliable age verification. Public awareness campaigns targeting children, adolescents, and parents/guardians, as well as an independent, pre-specified evaluation framework, should be conducted alongside such measures.