Athens Democracy Forum debates social media protection for youth

At the Athens Democracy Forum, experts and youth representatives discussed the tension between protecting teenagers from social media risks and maintaining their digital freedom. The debate follows a California court ruling that linked addictive platform design to mental health issues in a young woman, an event some analysts compare to the ‘Big Tobacco’ era.

Global entities, including the European Union, are currently considering raising minimum age requirements for digital platforms to mitigate risks such as doomscrolling and exposure to harmful content. During the panel, 16-year-old Alexia Kadoglou, a representative for Teens for Democracy, argued that while platforms are designed to capture attention non-consciously, social media remains a vital tool for connection. She emphasized the need to distinguish protection from exclusion, advocating for teaching responsible technology use rather than implementing blanket bans.