In December, Australia became the first country in the world to ban the use of social media for those under 16. Now, others are following Australia's example. The European Parliament has ruled that the minimum age for social media use should be raised to 16. Norway, Spain and Sweden are implementing bans, and in Finland, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has pushed for a ban on social media for those under 15. According to a poll by Uutissuomi, 62 percent of Finns support such a ban.
University lecturer Naomi Zouwer, points out that it is ultimately about children's rights, no matter how the restrictions are justified on the grounds of young people's safety. There is a lot of bad content on social media, but there is also a lot of good. Why aren't
those who make the algorithms required to make restrictions instead of restricting young people, she wonders. She has seen in her work that social media is an important channel for self-expression for
many young people. Children and young people should have the right and opportunity to express themselves through the media as well. Children and young people should have the right and opportunity to express themselves through the media as well. There are many good ways to do that, but now these ways are behind a wall. Zouwer adds that for some young people, social media can also be the only channel for reaching other young people.