Mobile phones continue to be the most popular holiday gift. But the German Federal Minister for Digital Affairs is calling for an age limit for social media.
German Digital Affairs Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU) is open to banning social media for children in Germany, similar to the Australian model. "I find it a very attractive idea. In this case I consider the issue of age restrictions more than justified," he told the German Press Agency dpa.
Studies, observations and presentations show how deeply social media affects the development of young people. “The question now is: how do we enable them to develop healthily, just as previous generations did without social media? What is the appropriate age should be discussed and carefully considered,” he added, referring to an expert commission set up by the German government on the “Protection of Children and Young People in the Digital World”.
Experts are expected to submit proposals by the summer.
The commission, made up of researchers and practitioners from the medical field, social workers and youth care workers, began work in the fall and is expected to present its recommendations by the summer. These recommendations will relate, among other things, to possible age restrictions on social media and the much-discussed issue of banning mobile phones in schools.
Wildberger: "We owe it to the children"
Here too, the German Minister for Digital Affairs is in favor of a fairly strict approach: “Sitting down for an hour or two to study attentively and not be distracted is a fundamental prerequisite for children’s development. Therefore, I think it is not only reasonable, but we also owe it to children to have this opportunity,” said Wildberger. Free time is also indispensable for children, he said. In such debates, it is important to listen to those who deal with this every day, and those are teachers.
Wildberger is Germany's first Federal Minister for Digital Affairs. He is also responsible for modernizing the state and reducing bureaucracy. Chancellor Friedrich Merz brought the former CEO of the MediaMarkt-Saturn concern into his cabinet from the business world.
Children and teenagers under the age of 16 in Australia have been banned from having their own accounts on many major social media platforms since December 10. The Australian government aims to protect young people from cyberbullying, problematic use and harmful content with this step./DW
