- eco Survey Shows: 82 per cent of the German population supports age limits for social media
- Parents play a central role in supporting their children’s digital guidance
- 5 tips for parents starting out in the world of social media
When the first smartphone appears under the Christmas tree, many parents ask themselves: Is my child old enough to use social media apps? And what can I do to protect my child from potential risks when using them?
A recent survey commissioned by eco – Association of the Internet Industry shows that 82 per cent of Germans are in favour of age limits for social media, while at the same time more than half (54 per cent) consider that such a regulation is not feasible in practice.
From a list of possible age verification measures, 47 per cent of respondents chose the option that parental consent should be mandatory if children under the age of 16 want to create a social media account. 46 per cent support the idea that app stores should block downloads for children under the age of 13 without parental approval. Many are hesitant when it comes to social media use by children under the age of 13: a strict ban for children under the age of 13 receives 40 per cent approval. “The results show that parents want to play an active role in their children’s entry into social media,” says Alexandra Koch-Skiba, Head of the eco Complaints Office.
Koch-Skiba: “Guidance instead of bans – parents are the most important social media coaches.”
“At Christmas, many children will receive their first smartphone – and with it, usually access to social networks. This is a good opportunity for families to talk about the opportunities and risks and to set up the smartphone together,” says Koch-Skiba. “Digital participation is important, but children and young people need guidance and orientation to navigate the Internet safely.”
The eco expert gives five tips on how parents can effectively support their children when they start using social media:
Five tips for parents starting out in the world of social media:
- Start together: Set up the first social media account together with your child. This will allow you to explain what is important when it comes to privacy settings, friend requests and sharing content.
- Take age limits seriously: Pay attention to the official age limits of the platforms – they are there to protect children. Many apps offer family or youth modes that automatically adjust content and safety settings.
- Talk openly about risks: Talk openly and sympathetically about topics such as cyberbullying, disturbing content, fake profiles or data protection – without causing fear. Children and young people should know that they can turn to you at any time if problems arise.
- Be a role model: Children observe their parents’ digital behaviour. Those who handle smartphones mindfully and take intentional breaks teach media literacy without extra effort.
- Use technical safety measures: Use parental control settings in apps, in the general profile and account settings of the device, or in the general settings options of the devices. These do not replace conversations, but they can help to gradually introduce children to digital responsibility.
Koch-Skiba emphasises: “A smartphone under the Christmas tree is the right gift when parents actively guide their children in its use. It is important not to leave the issue of social media use by children and young people solely to the platforms, but to keep discussing it as a family.”
With regard to the discussions surrounding minimum age and age verification, eco continues to consider practical and Europe-wide coordinated solutions for the protection of young people in the media to be crucial. This provides clear guidance while balancing data protection, user-friendliness and digital participation into account in equal measure.
* The data in this survey is based on online interviews with members of the YouGov panel who agreed to participate in advance. For this survey, 2,343 people were interviewed between 24 and 27 October 2025. The survey was quota-adjusted according to age, gender, education, region, residential environment, voting behaviour and political interest, and the results were subsequently weighted accordingly. The results are representative of the resident population in Germany aged 18 and over.
