7 in 10 Koreans Favor Restricting Teens' Social Media Use

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As some countries, including Australia and the UK, have introduced age-based restriction policies to prevent teenagers from over-relying on social media, a survey showed that 7 in 10 citizens in South Korea also support such policies.

The Korea Press Foundation's Media Research Center announced the results today (Sept. 1) after conducting an online perception survey targeting 1,000 citizens aged 14 to 58 last month to foster a safe social media environment for teenagers.

When respondents were asked for their stance after being presented with examples of policies restricting teenagers' social media use based on age and the main arguments for and against them, 70.7% expressed support, combining 28.7% who said "strongly agree" and 42.0% who said "somewhat agree."

Opposing views accounted for 29.3%, which included 22.3% who said "somewhat disagree" and 7.0% who said "strongly disagree."

Among teenage respondents (200 out of the total 1,000) who would be subject to the policy, opposition was higher at 59.0% compared to support at 41.0%. In contrast, 77.5% of adults with children and 78.3% of adults without children favored the policy.

When specifically asked what age ceiling would be appropriate for restriction, age 15 was the most common response at 16.8%, followed by age 18 at 14.9%, and under 12 at 13.1%.

However, the vast majority of respondents anticipated limitations and side effects even if such policies were implemented, such as "using someone else's account" or "migrating to other social media or online services not subject to restrictions."

Additionally, when asked whether more emphasis should be placed on "access restrictions" or "platform responsibility" to create a safe social media environment for teenagers, 59.8% answered that the focus should be on "making platforms' features and environments safer."

Notably, 72.0% of teenagers placed more weight on platform responsibility.

Yang Jeong-ae, a senior researcher at the foundation, stated in the report, "To create a safe social media environment for teenagers, it is necessary to consider not only policies restricting use under a certain age, but also strengthening platform responsibility, guidance and education at home and school, and enhancing teenagers' self-regulatory capacities."

She further suggested, "As the survey confirmed significant perception gaps between teenagers and adults, future discussions on related policies and systems will require a thorough understanding of the different social media use experiences and policy perceptions across age groups."

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