European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for stronger protections for children online, saying the evidence presented by the Special Panel on Child Safety Online should help shape future European policy.
Von der Leyen said the evidence increasingly supported introducing a minimum age for access to social media and suggested a phased approach for different age groups.
During a press conference in Brussels, the EU chief said the argument to ban toddlers from screens and digital platforms, and that children under 13 should only use social media under adult supervision and for limited periods, was the "most convincing".
"Social media is not a toy," she said, warning that "the status quo, a world where we continue to allow big tech unrestricted access to our children, will only consign another generation to more mental harm, addiction and misery."
According to data from the research, young people spend between four and six hours a day on screens, while almost 60% of young children have experienced emotional or psychosocial problems online.
