Researchers from the Latvian Academy of Culture (LAC) have participated in the development of an international assessment on the potential benefits and drawbacks of age restrictions for social media. This report has been prepared within the framework of the broader Europe-wide research EU Kids Online, in response to current political discussions about children’s safety in the digital environment.
"Public discussions often assume that stricter age restrictions automatically mean greater safety. Our data show a much more complex picture – the potential benefits are not unequivocal, while the losses in the areas of social contacts, access to information, and participation can be significant. There is a risk that, in trying to protect children from some risks, we simultaneously take away important opportunities. Therefore, it is important to assess not only what children lose by accessing social media, but also what they may lose if access is denied," emphasizes researcher Gints Klāsons.
Although child protection in the digital environment is an important goal, researchers indicate that social media bans alone cannot solve all issues related to children’s safety. The study emphasizes that alongside technical restrictions, the development of digital literacy, parental involvement, platform responsibility, and the creation of a safer digital environment for children are of key importance. At the same time, the question of balance between protecting children and their rights to fully participate in the digital environment is raised.
The EU Kids Online research network has been studying children’s and young people’s internet use habits, digital opportunities, and risks for more than twenty years. The network includes researchers from more than 30 countries, including Latvia.
The full report is available here:
https://www.lse.ac.uk/media-and-communications/research/research-projects/eu-kids-online/reports-and-findings/AgeBans
EU Kids Online is one of the leading international research networks studying children’s and young people’s internet use, digital opportunities, risks, and issues of digital well-being. The network brings together researchers from more than 30 countries and regularly provides data-based contributions to international discussions about children’s lives in the digital environment.
