Spain study reveals digital risks and socioeconomic gaps in minor supervision

A major sociological study in Spain, titled ‘Infancia, adolescencia y bienestar digital’, has revealed significant risks regarding the digital habits of minors aged 10 to 20. Conducted by Socidrogalcohol in collaboration with UNICEF España and other institutions, the research—one of the largest of its kind in Europe—surveyed nearly 100,000 students.

The report highlights that 82.4% of students have their own mobile phone, typically accessing them by age 10.8. While 92.5% are registered on at least one social network, 5.7% exhibit problematic social media consumption patterns. Additionally, one in ten minors has engaged in gambling with real money.

The study also identifies a correlation between socioeconomic status and parental supervision. Families with higher socioeconomic levels are more likely to implement screen time limits (60%) and set specific rules for device use (56%) compared to lower-income households (41% and 40%, respectively). Lower-income families also report less frequent use of digital management tools and a higher tendency for children to use devices outside of common living areas, which can hinder direct supervision.