Sweden Considers Setting a Social Media Age Limit of 15 as Families

Emma has been born into a world where social media has always existed. She shares pictures of what she has done that day with friends at school; follows the content creators she likes best; and spends hours upon hours watching videos after school just like many other teens in Sweden. Social media is not only a source of entertainment for Emma, but it is also where she talks to friends, learns about new trends, and stays connected with friends.

On one particular morning, an article was published in all the schools in Sweden about the government's proposal to increase the minimum age for using social media sites to 15 years old.

There were many different opinions about this new proposal. For example, at a school's lunch break in Stockholm, some students expressed their beliefs that social media is an important aspect of modern-day living, and that preventing access to young people would only drive them to create 'hidden' accounts and/or ways to circumvent the restrictions. On the contrary, some students mentioned that they feel increasingly pressured by constant notifications, social media comparisons and trending content.

Parents have been following the responses from students closely. Emma's mom, Sofia, thinks that establishing an age requirement could protect children from harmful content and cyberbullying. She remembers when her daughter experienced anxiety due to being bullied about a photo she had posted a few months ago. Therefore, Sofia thinks that having an age limit is a good way to keep children safe.

Technology companies have stated that enforcing age restrictions is difficult. They believe that verifying a person's age before giving them access to social media may not solve the problem of users purposely avoiding any prohibition on their access to those sites because there is no real benefit to any verification process put in place by the service provider. Instead, many experts in the field of technology believe that educating parents and their children will be much more beneficial than simply placing an arbitrary age restriction on access to social media.

With the national conversation continuing to grow, members of the House and the Senate are hearing from teachers, psychologists, parents, and advocates of digital rights throughout the country about what they see happening with children and the amount of time they spend on the internet, as well as how it affects their emotional well-being. The testimony presented to Congress created a complicated look at both the benefits of social media, such as creative opportunities, learning, and connecting with others, along with the risks of using it that may not have existed for adults when they were children.

As Emma listened to others discuss their views on the impact of technology on children, she found herself beginning to evaluate how frequently she finds herself on the internet and how much of an effect the screen has on her feelings every day.

Several months later, the proposal was still under consideration, but one thing was already clear. Across Sweden, many people are having more serious conversations about technology, children, and community responsibility.

Whether Congress ultimately passes the proposed bill creating this age limit or not, the national conversation has accomplished at least one significant thing. It has allowed the people in Sweden to question how can children enjoy the benefits of the digital age, while at the same time be protected from the challenges that the digital world continues to create more of every day.