Almost half of German teenagers aged 12 to 17 support age restrictions on social media, according to a survey commissioned by health insurer Techniker Krankenkasse (TK).
Some 47% backed a ban up to a certain age, with respondents putting the average age at 14. Another 8% supported a complete ban for children and teenagers, while 39% rejected such restrictions.
The survey, conducted online by Eye Square in April and May among 1,400 teenagers, was representative of Germany’s 12-to-17 age group, TK said.
Four in five respondents said social media was good or mostly good for them. The most common reasons for using it were entertainment (77%) and passing time (75%), followed by staying in touch with friends (64%). YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and Roblox were the most popular platforms.
Usage was often several hours a day: 27% said they spent one to two hours on social media, 26% two to three hours, 19% three to four hours and 17% four hours or more.
TK said negative feelings and physical complaints became more common as usage increased. Among those spending at least four hours a day on social media, 49% reported frequent or constant bad moods, compared with 20% among those using it for one to two hours. Forty percent of heavy users reported dissatisfaction with themselves, compared with 22% of lighter users.
The survey also found that heavy users were more likely to report sleep problems, headaches, muscle tension and stomach aches.
The teenagers said they wanted support at school and from their parents, as well as stricter rules for social media platforms. Some 70% said they wanted platforms to block inappropriate content such as violence, insults and hate comments.
TK chief Jens Baas said a blanket ban would not adequately address online risks and called for greater media literacy and youth-friendly versions of platforms without advertising or addictive algorithms.
