Social media use among children is at the centre of a new Finnish government consultation, with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health asking parents and guardians to describe how young people use social media and what concerns they have about its effects.
The ministry has opened an online survey seeking experiences and views from parents and guardians across Finland. The responses will be used by a ministry-appointed working group examining how children and young people could be better protected from potential harms linked to social media.
The study, titled “Protecting Children and Young People from the Harms of Social Media”, comes as governments and policymakers across Europe face growing pressure to address children’s access to social media platforms and other online services.
Parents and guardians can complete the survey in Finnish, Swedish or English, with responses accepted until Sunday, 11 October.
The consultation comes shortly after the European Union announced plans to restrict social media access for children under 15. The proposed approach could include age limits for social media platforms, measures aimed at addictive online games and other protections designed to reduce risks for children and young people online.
In Finland, the question of how far those protections should go has already become a prominent public issue. Discussion has intensified following Australia’s introduction of restrictions on social media use by children at the end of last year, which has drawn international attention as other countries consider their own approaches.
The Finnish debate is also reflected in public opinion. A survey published last month found that more than half of Finns support banning children under 15 from using social media.
The ministry’s latest survey gives parents and guardians an opportunity to contribute directly to the discussion as policymakers examine possible measures. Their responses will provide information about children’s actual social media habits and the concerns families encounter in everyday life, adding a practical dimension to a debate that has increasingly focused on age limits and regulation.
For Finnish policymakers, the challenge is not simply deciding whether children should have access to social media, but determining what protections are appropriate and how they could work in practice. The experiences of families are therefore becoming part of a wider discussion about how children can participate in digital life while facing fewer of the risks associated with online platforms.
