Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, will propose a bill to the member states of the European Union on Thursday, aimed at limiting access to social media for children under 15 years old. This action comes in response to growing concerns about the negative impacts of social media on the mental health of children and adolescents.
The Necessity of Age Restrictions
In her annual speech on the state of the European Union, von der Leyen emphasized the importance of setting age limits for social media use. She also referred to the challenges parents face, including insomnia, anxiety, and even self-harm among children. She stated, "Parents see the cost of this situation day and night: insomnia, anxiety, and even self-harm. And in an increasing number of cases, even deadly tragedies."
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Details of the Proposed Bill
According to this bill, the use of social media will be completely prohibited for children under 13 years old. Children aged 13 and 14 will only be able to create accounts if they are under the supervision of their parents or legal guardians. This proposal also instructs social media operators to provide safe and protective designs for users aged 15 to 18. These measures are intended to protect young people from inappropriate content and various online dangers.
Development of International Cooperation
Ursula von der Leyen also mentioned other initiatives in her speech. One of these initiatives is the establishment of a security council that will include non-EU member countries, including the UK and Ukraine. The aim of this council is to address new threats such as drone incursions into the airspace of European countries. Additionally, von der Leyen referred to new collaborations with Canada, announcing that the European Union will create an "associate member" partnership with this country to strengthen cooperation in defense industries and critical minerals.
These initiatives not only seek to protect young people from online dangers but also focus on developing international cooperation in security and defense. It seems that these actions could provide a safer and healthier future for upcoming generations in Europe.
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