Our Europe-wide surveys explore how parents and guardians view teens’ social media use, online safety, screen time, and age-appropriate digital experiences.
We examined parental approval of social media access, concerns about online harms, and expectations for safer technology platforms for children and teenagers.
The results highlight key trends shaping the debate on online protection and social media regulation across Europe.
European parents want to be in the driving seat on teens’ app use
As safety advocates, parent organisations, policymakers, experts, and industry leaders continue to debate how best to strengthen online protections for children and teenagers, parents and guardians across Europe are calling for more nuanced, parent-involved solutions.
Our findings show that most European parents prefer approaches based on parental approval, age-appropriate content, and open dialogue rather than blanket bans on access to digital platforms.
“Agreeing on a harmonised digital majority for all teens in the EU, while ensuring parents and guardians remain the principal decision-makers, is the right thing to do. It will give every young person in the Union equal protection and opportunities to thrive online,” says Andrea Gerosa, Founder of ThinkYoung.
“Most parents and guardians know what is best for their children. That’s why they want to be in the driving seat when it comes to protecting their child online and building healthy digital habits,” adds Andrea Gerosa.
ThinkYoung also calls on local authorities, educators, and industry leaders to work with civil society, parents, and young people to develop the safety tools and resources needed to help teenagers navigate the digital world.
Read more about our roundtable events in Denmark and Portugal.
ThinkYoung is a not-for-profit organisation, aiming to make the world a better place for young people by involving them in decision-making processes and providing decision-makers with high-quality research on youth conditions. ThinkYoung conducts studies and surveys, makes advocacy campaigns, writes policy proposals, and develops education programmes: up to date, ThinkYoung projects have reached over 800,000 young people.
Meta is a tech company with apps that you may know, like Instagram or WhatsApp. We work hard to build online spaces where young people can learn, connect, create, and have fun. We want young people to enjoy our platforms and to be safe, so creating spaces for young people to have their say on the future of platforms like ours is crucial.
