‘Endless scrolling’: Sweden mulls under-15s social media ban
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Swedish Public Health Minister Jakob Forssmed said the country was "losing an entire generation to endless scrolling" on social media apps.
PHOTO: AFP
- Sweden's government commission proposed banning social media for under-15s, effective January 1, 2028, to protect children's well-being.
- Public Health Minister Jakob Forssmed stated Sweden is "losing an entire generation to endless scrolling," highlighting mental health concerns.
- The ban affects platforms like TikTok and Instagram, requiring age verification but exempting video games; Australia and others have similar bans.
AI generated
STOCKHOLM - A Swedish government commission proposed on June 2 banning under-15s from accessing social media, adding to the list of countries considering similar measures to tackle the harms of the internet on children.
“We are in the process of losing an entire generation to endless scrolling,” Public Health Minister Jakob Forssmed told a press conference.
The Scandinavian country’s government appointed the commission in the autumn to assess introducing a minimum age for social media access, which would affect platforms including Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.
Commission head Lisa Englund Krafft recommended setting the age floor at 15, with the body proposing the limit come into force on Jan 1, 2028.
While the likes of Facebook and TikTok would be required to verify their users’ ages, video games popular with children such as Roblox, Minecraft and Fortnite would be exempt.
In December 2025, Australia became the first country to ban social media for children in a bid to protect them from the effects of the internet on their mental health - so far to mixed results.
Brazil and Indonesia are among the countries to have followed suit, while many European nations are considering similar bans. AFP
