Denmark has taken a new initiative with children’s future in mind. The country will ban the use of social media for children under 15, the Danish government said on Friday, November 7, although parents can grant dispensations to allow children aged 13 to access certain platforms.
The move comes after Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen highlighted concerns about young people’s mental health and digital addiction in her opening speech to Parliament (Folketing) last month, leading to calls for social media restrictions for children.
“The so-called social media thrive on stealing our children’s time, childhood, and well-being, and we are putting a stop to that now,” Denmark’s Digitalization Minister Caroline Stage Olsen said, according to Reuters.
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Most parties in parliament have indicated they will support the plan to ban social media ahead of a formal vote. According to the government, the platforms most used by children in Denmark on their parents’ phones include Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. In addition, according to an analysis by the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (DCCA) in February of this year, young people in the Nordic countries (such as Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland) spend an average of 2 hours and 40 minutes on social media every day.
This article includes reporting from Reuters.