A recent study reveals that over a quarter of children and adolescents in Germany use social media in harmful ways, prompting proposals for age restrictions from political parties.
A new study from the German health insurance company DAK-Gesundheit indicates that more than a quarter of children and teenagers are using social media in risky or even addictive ways, with this trend on the rise. This alarming statistic shows that hundreds of thousands of young people in Germany could be struggling with social media addiction, logging nearly three hours on platforms like TikTok during regular weekdays and exceeding three hours over the weekends.
In response to these findings, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) has proposed implementing a ban on social media for children under the age of 14. This initiative aims to combat the increasing cases of social media addiction among younger users. Additionally, discussions at the upcoming CDU party convention will also address the possibility of establishing an age limit for social media access, reflecting a growing concern about the impact of these platforms on youth.
In this episode of the podcast 'On Point,' Anahí Martina Sánchez from the TikTok team at SZ discusses the addictive design elements of social media platforms. The conversation aims to highlight how these features contribute to excessive usage among young users. The podcast also touches on other current news, including the EU Commission investigating online retailer Shein and the classification of the AfD state association in Lower Saxony as 'extremist'.
