"We have unleashed a monster", Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told parliament on 7/10, discussing the proposal to ban social media for children under 15. "Never before have so many children and teenagers suffered from anxiety and depression".

She noted many children struggle with reading and concentration, adding that "they see things children should not see on phone screens". The prime minister did not specify which social media platforms would be banned, but stated parents could permit their children to use social media from 13 years old. The ban could take effect as early as next year.

The Danish prime minister cited data showing 60% of boys aged 11-19 do not meet any friends in their free time, and 94% of Danish children in 7th grade had social media accounts before age 13.

"Mobile phones and social media are stealing our children's childhoods", she said.

The Danish prime minister at a meeting in Berlin, Germany, in June. _Reuters_

Denmark began banning students from using phones in schools and after-school clubs in February. This decision followed recommendations from a government welfare committee, which advised that children under 13 should not own personal smartphones and tablets. The committee formed to investigate growing dissatisfaction among children and teenagers.

Denmark's Digital Minister Caroline Stage called the prime minister's policy a "breakthrough".

"I have said this before and will reiterate it now: we have been too naive. We entrusted children's digital lives to platforms that never cared about their mental health. We need to free children from digital captivity and return them to the community", Stage said.

Studies on social media's impact on children and teenagers are prompting many governments to reconsider children's access to these platforms.

Before Denmark, Australia banned social media use for children under 16 on platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. Norway will also raise the social media age ban from 13 to 15. Greece, in June, proposed that the EU enact a "digital maturity age" regulation to prevent children from secretly accessing social media without parental consent.

Hong Hanh (According to Guardian)