A majority of Germans favor restrictions on social media access for children and adolescents under the age of 16, according to a recent survey.
The Forsa poll, conducted on behalf of “Stern” magazine, reveals that 54% of respondents support a ban on platforms like TikTok and Instagram for this age group, while 41% oppose such limitations. A further 5% remain undecided.
The proposal gains particularly strong support from parents and older demographics. Sixty percent of individuals living in households with children and those aged 60 and over, expressed support for a ban. Support remains a majority – albeit smaller – amongst younger adults aged 18-29, with 51% in favor.
Political alignment also appears to influence opinion. Supporters of the CDU/CSU (54%), SPD (69%) and Left Party (57%) largely support restricting access for younger teens. Conversely, voters aligned with the Green Party (53%) and Alternative for Germany (AfD) (49%) are more likely to oppose such measures.
The data was collected by the market and opinion research institute Forsa for “Stern” and RTL Deutschland via telephone interviews on August 14th and 15th, based on a sample of 1,001 respondents.
