Excessive use of social media harms children and young people. The negative consequences include screen addiction or the risk of depression. That’s why Norway‘s social democratic Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre only wants to allow Instagram, TikTok and other social media from the age of 15.
Until now, children aged 13 and over have been allowed to have their personal data processed by platforms such as Instagram or TikTok without their parents’ consent. The government is still working out how exactly the new ban can be implemented. The Prime Minister assumes that implementation will be difficult, writes the “Kleine Zeitung”.
Children and Family Minister Kjersti Toppe, who belongs to the Norwegian Farmers’ Party, expressed concern about the growing use of social media by very young children. According to Toppe, 50 percent of nine-year-old children in Norway are already active on social platforms. Many parents would find it difficult to prevent their children from accessing these services when other peers are using them. Reports and studies are expected to come out in the winter and provide the basis for further decisions to protect children on the Internet.
