Debate about the age limit: survey: Majority for access to social media only from 16

According to a current survey, more than 70 percent of people in Germany want a minimum age for access to social media. This emerges from a representative survey by the opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of the German Press Agency.

According to this, 57 percent of those surveyed stated that it was a minimum age of 16 years for the use of social media, 16 percent even spoke in favor of a minimum age of 18 years. Fifteen percent of those surveyed stated that in their view, there would be no age limit for access to social media such as Facebook, Instragram or Tiktok. With “Do not know/no statement”, eleven percent replied.

2,018 people took part in the online survey between June 13 and June 16. A large part of them (915) was 55 years old or older.

Greatest approval of the age limit for middle -aged people

The approval of an age limit for access to social networks among 35- to 44-year-olds was greatest with 80 percent, followed by the group of 25 to 24 year olds (79 percent). The lowest approval for such a measure was with a proportion of support of 65 percent among 18 to 24 year olds.

The topic of age limit for social media is the subject of current political discussions. For example, the German Teachers’ Association clearly speaks against such an age limit. Association President Stefan Düll named the idea of ​​a legal age limit “remarkation of reality and not useful”.

Although the desire to protect children is understandable, he told the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” and the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten”. “But Facebook, Instagram and Tikkok are part of a reality in which young people have to learn to find their way. Bans don’t help,” said Düll.

Federal Education Minister pleads for solid age review

Federal Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU) also does not want to commit herself to a fixed age limit, but emphasizes the need to better protect children in dealing with social networks. “If it is not possible to let children grow up, especially smaller, younger children without excessive screen use, then the company failed as a whole and abandoned the children,” said the CDU politician on Deutschlandfunk.

“I think we have to be aware that we are talking about massive health mental disorders and dangers for children and adolescents.”

Prien is for a legally anchored age verification in the use of TikTok, Instagram and other applications. “You would not say to be able to handle it with comparable topics such as alcohol or drugs if children with eight or ten or twelve years are unable to handle it, then you do not need to prohibit them, but then this is a question of the person responsible.” Social media and cell phones have enormous addiction potential.

In contrast, Prien’s party friend and Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) recently spoke out for a prohibition of social media for under 16. NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) had also opened openly for a possible age limit.

So far no reliable protective mechanisms on the net

So far, reliable control mechanisms have been missing when accessing social networks. Even if some services such as Instagram or TikTok determine about a minimum age of 13 years in their terms of use, there is no consistent review of whether this is also met. Age verification is often neglected.

What also fits another result of the current YouGov survey: A majority of respondents (60 percent) are therefore not known for control mechanisms for the protection of children and adolescents on social media. When asked how previous control mechanisms are evaluated, a majority of 61 percent indicated that they are “rather not” or “not” sufficient at all.

Very few find current control mechanisms sufficient

Only three percent consider the previous retirement controls – for example via a pop -up window with an age query – to be “fully sufficient”. Twelve percent stated that the status quo “rather sufficient”. Almost a quarter of the respondents (24 percent) did not provide any information on this point.

The Jugendschutz.net platform has recently recalled stricter rules for age review on the Internet. The head of the Commission for Youth Media Protection, Marc Jan Eumann, said that there are already dozens of offers for the age test online. Anyone who wants to seriously protect young people online can do so.

He said about the operators: “I have no doubt that they can do everything. They just don’t do it if they endanger their business model.” Here politics must clearly take part. The operators would have had enough time to take the task seriously. So far they have not had that.