ARTE Europe Weekly

Should we ban social media for children? (3x24)

Air date: Jun 19, 2025

There’s a legal age at which you can buy alcohol or cigarettes, vote and drive – but not use social media, despite the fact it can be full of damaging content like violence, paedophilia, dangerous health ‘advice’ and disinformation. Studies have shown a link between extreme social media use and poor mental health. Now some EU countries are proposing a total ban for under-15s. But how easy would this be to enforce, and is it fair to deprive young people of social media?