Austria's proposed social media ban for under-14s sparks calls for early media education and regulation

Child psychologist Julia Zuber warns that limited bans on social media for under-14s in Austria overlook the importance of early education and family involvement to mitigate risks and foster healthy online habits.

The planned ban on social media for under-14s in Austria from 2027 may go some way towards protecting children, but it does not go far enough, according to child and adolescent psychologist Julia Zuber, who says the real challenge begins long before a teenager opens an account.

Zuber argues that the case for tighter limits is strong because social platforms are not designed with children’s development in mind. She points to the way feeds, notifications and popularity cues such as likes and follower counts repeatedly stimulate the brain’s reward system at a stage when self-control and motivation are still developing. The U.S. Surgeon General has similarly warned that the effects of social media on young people depend on factors such as time spent online, the content consumed and whether use displaces sleep, exercise and other essential activities.

Her concern is not only about compulsive use but also about self-worth. Zuber says children and adolescents are especially sensitive to outside approval through much of their school years, which can make public metrics on social media particularly corrosive when validation does not arrive. Recent research from the Pew Research Centre found that most teenagers say social media helps them feel closer to friends, but about one in five say it harms their mental health, underlining how uneven the impact can be.

Zuber says parents and schools must prepare children for that environment rather than assuming they will adapt on their own at 14 or 15. She describes a sudden introduction to TikTok, Instagram and similar platforms as a kind of culture shock and says young people need gradual media education, including explanations of how recommendation systems work and why repeated engagement quickly narrows what they see. Johns Hopkins Medicine has also stressed that open discussion and active parental involvement can help reduce the risks of social media use.

That is especially important because, as Zuber notes, social media is not purely harmful. It can help children maintain friendships, find like-minded communities and organise support quickly. Mayo Clinic says the effects vary from one teenager to another and depend on both the content and the amount of use, which is why blanket assumptions rarely fit every child.

The psychologist also wants families to tolerate boredom rather than filling every spare moment with a screen. In her view, the ability to sit with inactivity is a skill children need to practise, because constant scrolling can make it harder to delay gratification and regulate emotions. The Surgeon General’s advisory likewise warns that social media can crowd out sleep, physical activity and other routines that support healthy development.

For younger children, Zuber supports strict limits on screen time and says routines matter more than arguments over minutes alone. The wider research base backs that view: experts at Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins both recommend that parents pay close attention to how social media affects sleep, mood and daily functioning, rather than focusing only on total hours online.

She also warns that problem use rarely has a single cause. When young people become irritable at the end of screen time, drop other hobbies or show a strong fear of missing out, she says intervention may be needed. Public health guidance in the United States makes a similar point, urging a broader response that includes families, schools, platforms and policymakers rather than placing the burden on parents alone.

Zuber links the same pressures to cyberbullying, which she believes is becoming more common. She argues that children need better conflict-handling skills so they are less likely to become trapped in cycles of online hostility and self-doubt. That concern is echoed in U.S. guidance, which says social media can expose young people to harmful interactions as well as harmful content.

Her broader message is that social media should be treated as a developmental issue, not just a lifestyle choice. Used well, it can connect and inform; used badly, it can deepen anxiety, weaken concentration and distort self-image. The latest evidence suggests the question is not whether social media is good or bad, but how early children are exposed, how they are guided and how much room families give them to build offline habits first.