A majority of Germans favor restricting access to social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram for children and adolescents under the age of 16, a recent survey indicates.
The Forsa poll, commissioned by “Stern” magazine, reveals that 54 percent of respondents support a ban on social media use for this age group, while 41 percent oppose such restrictions. Five percent of those surveyed remained undecided. The findings come amidst growing calls from political figures for Germany to introduce age limits for social media, mirroring initiatives seen in countries like Australia.
Support for a ban is particularly strong among parents and older demographics. Sixty percent of individuals living in households with children, as well as those aged 60 and over, advocate for restrictions. Even within the 18-29 age bracket, a majority (51 percent) expressed support for limiting access. Political affiliations also demonstrate varying levels of consensus, with supporters of the CDU/CSU (54 percent), SPD (69 percent) and The Left (57 percent) largely favoring a ban. Voters aligned with the Green Party (53 percent) and Alternative for Germany (AfD) (49 percent) are more likely to oppose such measures.
The data was collected by the market and opinion research institute Forsa on August 14th and 15th through telephone interviews with a representative sample of 1,001 respondents for “Stern” and RTL Deutschland.