Finland drops proposed social media ban for under-15s

Finland’s government has abandoned plans to ban social media use by children under 15, Yle reports. The proposal, promoted by Minister of Social Security Karoliina Partanen of the National Coalition Party, was blocked by opposition from the Finns Party.

Sonja Hartio, a doctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki who studies how phone use affects young people’s friendships, welcomed the decision.

“A social media ban alone would not be an effective solution. Australia has also found that many young people have started bypassing the restrictions,” Hartio said.

Research in Finland has found that most lower secondary school pupils would circumvent a social media ban if one were introduced.

Nearly all the lower secondary school pupils who took part in Hartio’s research felt that mobile phones helped them meet and stay in contact with friends. Young people’s interactions often centre on spending time with their phones.

Phones have played an important role in their lives since childhood, Hartio said. They provide topics of conversation, such as what people see on social media and which games they play, and can create a sense of belonging.

Young people say social media is part of life

Ninth-grade pupils at Vaajakoski Comprehensive School in Jyväskylä do not want a social media ban.

Ninni Honka, 15, said a total ban would have been too punitive.

“I think you can be on social media if you know how to use it. You need to understand the problems with social media, and age limits should be followed,” Honka said.

Denis Peniiainen, 14, uses social media for six to seven hours a day. He said it was an important way to stay in touch with friends who live far away.

Peniiainen said social media can help people find friends who share their interests. It can also provide understanding of different cultures and ways of life.

“Social media is part of our lives. You cannot just take it away and tear it out. It is the same as language and culture,” Peniiainen said.

Alisa Saksola, 15, said she believed young people would have continued using social media despite a ban.

“Young people would almost certainly have found a way back to social media,” Saksola said.

Youth doctor calls for stricter limits

Silja Kosola, a docent in adolescent medicine, also opposes a total ban on social media for young people. She said social media can bring benefits and enjoyment, including by helping maintain friendships.

However, she said stricter age limits should be introduced for the most addictive platforms, such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.

Kosola regretted that restrictions on social media use had not advanced during the government’s current term. She said there were positive signs in the European Union that efforts were being made to establish common rules, although EU-wide restrictions were progressing slowly.

A ban on mobile phones in schools had been a step in the right direction, Kosola said, but it was not enough on its own.

“A large part of harmful social media use takes place specifically during leisure time, displacing other activities and, for example, sleep,” Kosola said.

Parents and media education as alternatives

Hartio said more emphasis should be placed on the role of parents instead of focusing only on banning social media.

A survey found that most parents of lower secondary school pupils do not restrict their children’s social media use. This includes monitoring which platforms their children use or how much time they spend on them.

Hartio said schools should also increase media education. She called for collective action by parents so that decisions about social media use could be made together.

Parents in a class could, for example, agree on the age at which children may get social media accounts. This would reduce peer pressure related to using the platforms.

“It is essential that social media use is restricted at home and that children are taught to use it responsibly,” Hartio said.