(de-news.net) – While acknowledging deficits among parents and educational institutions, media scholar Daniel Hajok argued that stricter regulatory oversight of platform providers had become necessary amid intensifying debate over restricting minors’ access to social media. Hajok, an adjunct professor of media and communication studies at Universität Erfurt, emphasized that although contemporary parents themselves had grown up using social media, the earlier generation of networking services differed fundamentally in structure and psychological intensity from today’s highly immersive platforms, including Instagram and TikTok. He suggested that these newer platforms were characterized by far more sophisticated engagement mechanisms, which raised distinct developmental and regulatory concerns.

According to Hajok, deficiencies in media literacy extended well beyond younger users and reflected broader societal patterns of media dependence. Adults, he noted, continued to exhibit entrenched habits of prolonged television consumption developed over decades, while additional forms of media reliance were observable in the excessive use of video games and streaming platforms. The COVID-19 pandemic further exposed structural weaknesses in critical media engagement, as many adults demonstrated susceptibility to misinformation and conspiracy narratives. In his assessment, this pattern underscored systemic shortcomings in the population’s ability to evaluate digital content critically and highlighted the need for comprehensive educational and regulatory responses.

Hajok further stressed that children’s exposure to media technologies was occurring at progressively earlier developmental stages. He observed that interactive technologies, including digital reading aids and self-operated audio systems, had contributed to a measurable decline in traditional parental reading practices during early childhood. At the same time, caregivers were increasingly confronted with more complex educational, technological, and social demands than in previous decades, creating less favorable developmental conditions. He argued that governmental intervention was therefore necessary, as the prevailing economic logic of major platforms prioritized data monetization and sustained engagement over effective youth protection. In this context, he advocated the institutionalization of media literacy as a mandatory subject in elementary education, emphasizing that its absence not only limited preventive efforts but also constrained the systematic training and preparation of teaching personnel.

Lawmakers seek binding safeguards against algorithmic harm to children

Political responses to these concerns have intensified. Following the CDU party congress decision endorsing a statutory social media ban for children under the age of 14, the SPD called for rapid legislative implementation. Dirk Wiese, parliamentary managing director of the SPD parliamentary group, reportedly welcomed the conservative bloc’s support for stricter youth protection measures and argued that the Bundestag should adopt binding legislation without delay in order to strengthen legal safeguards in the digital environment. Matthias Klüssendorf, the SPD’s secretary general, similarly emphasized that algorithmically reinforced addictive design features, combined with online harassment and hate speech, constituted significant threats to minors’ mental and physical well-being. He indicated that these risks justified decisive and immediate governmental action to ensure adequate protection.

The initiative followed a clear majority vote at the CDU federal party conference in Stuttgart in favor of establishing a legally binding minimum age of 14 for social media use. Although the SPD had long supported comparable regulatory measures, the CDU proposal remained contentious within the conservative political camp. Markus Söder, leader of the Bavarian CSU, expressed skepticism regarding the feasibility of the measure and characterized it as impractical, thereby highlighting internal disagreements over its implementation. The adopted resolution called on the federal government to introduce enforceable age limits and to formally recognize heightened protection needs for minors extending to the age of 16. Initially proposed by a regional CDU branch in Schleswig-Holstein, the measure underwent internal revision and consultation prior to its final approval. The CDU framed the initiative as part of a broader policy commitment to ensuring age-appropriate and responsible digital development, arguing that commercial platform models designed to maximize attention retention and behavioral engagement warranted proportionate legislative oversight.

Consistent with this rationale, the CDU advocated national and European legislation mandating privacy-compliant age verification mechanisms and explicitly rejected self-reported age confirmation as insufficient. The party also supported the imposition of substantial financial penalties in cases of noncompliance, emphasizing the importance of enforcement mechanisms to ensure regulatory effectiveness. Furthermore, it underscored the need for harmonizing age standards across the European Union in order to prevent regulatory circumvention through cross-border platform access. The CDU maintained that implementation should be guided by scientific expertise, particularly the forthcoming recommendations of a federally appointed expert commission, and coordinated closely with state authorities to ensure consistency and effectiveness.

Complementary measures emphasized the expansion of media literacy education as a core preventive strategy. Schools were expected to provide structured instruction on algorithmic influence, digital manipulation, and strategies for preventing cyberbullying, while educational initiatives were also intended to involve parents in awareness and prevention efforts. In addition, the CDU called for strengthened transparency obligations to ensure greater accountability in algorithmic decision-making processes and demanded more efficient procedures for the removal of unlawful content. The party argued that enforceable sanctions and clear regulatory standards were essential not only to ensure compliance but also to enhance democratic resilience against disinformation, manipulation, and other forms of online harm that increasingly shaped the digital public sphere.