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Is social media messing up our kids?
A growing number of European countries seem to think it’s causing a problem, as more and more consider bans or restrictions.
In an effort to get children to log off screens and into real life, Spain plans to ban under-16s from social media platforms.
For many adults, it seems to make sense, but how do young people feel about losing access?
“I think as a society we have got to a point that we have to do something about it, and I think a ban is the best option,” 16-year-old Africa tells me.
I’ve come to meet a group of 12- to 17-year-olds at Spain’s oldest secondary school in Madrid.
Much to my surprise, all of them support the restriction.
“I think that as long as private companies own these apps, there won’t be really positive things because the only thing that matters [to them] is that you spend more time in the app and for them to make more money,” 14-year-old Max explains.
Max tells Sky he thinks tech firms want young people to stay online
Goodbye apps, hello school success
Like several of the other boys in the group, he said he has struggled in the past with social media addiction, spending hours doomscrolling at the expense of going out with friends.
Theo has struggled with social media addiction
It’s a problem that’s also troubled 12-year-old Theo, the youngest in the group.
“I was five or six hours a day watching a screen and I failed three or four exams,” he said.
“My parents took off all those things [apps] and then I started to get good marks.”
Several of the girls in the group also have concerns about the impact of social media on their peers’ mental health.
Elena, 16,…
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