Cyprus ranks among the European Union countries with the highest levels of concern about the risks children face when using social media, according to a new survey by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).
The report, titled “Protecting Children on Social Media”, examines public attitudes towards minors’ use of online services, as well as views from both adults and teenagers on possible minimum age limits for access to social media platforms.
In Cyprus, overall concern about risks linked to children’s use of online services stands at 92%, placing it among the highest in the EU. Similarly high levels were recorded in countries including Spain, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Slovenia, France, Ireland, Portugal and Italy. Lower levels of concern were observed in countries such as Romania, Germany, Hungary and Croatia, depending on the type of risk.
Exposure to violence
Across the EU, more than eight in ten respondents said they were fairly or very concerned about a range of risks linked to children’s use of social media. According to the findings, 89% expressed concern about children being approached online by people seeking to exploit them, while the same proportion were worried about exposure to violent content.
A further 88% said they were concerned about the amount of time children spend on certain apps and the risk of addiction. High levels of concern were also recorded for issues including data protection, access to pornographic material, exposure to terrorist content, recruitment into criminal activity, and exposure to conspiracy theories.
Overall, concern levels ranged between 80% and 89% depending on the issue, with more than half of respondents in several cases saying they were very concerned.
Decision left to parents
The survey also highlights differences between countries. In Finland, for example, 97% of respondents said they were concerned about children being approached by individuals seeking to exploit them, while concern about exposure to conspiracy theories, though lower, remained significant. Similar variations were recorded in Sweden, Malta, Denmark, Czech Republic and Estonia.
The FRA survey also examined views on possible age limits for social media use. It found that 74% of EU citizens aged 18 and over support a legal ban on access for children below a certain age.
Respondents most commonly suggested minimum ages of 16 or 18 (both at 16%), while others proposed 15 or 14. A smaller proportion supported access at younger ages, while some said such decisions should be left to parents or vary depending on the platform.
Teenagers aged 15 to 17 were also included in the survey, with a significant share supporting age restrictions. The most common responses among this group were 15 years (16%) and 14 (15%).
The findings also show differences by gender and age. Women were slightly more concerned than men about the risks linked to children’s online activity, while older respondents were generally more concerned than younger ones.
Among teenagers, 81% said they were concerned about exposure to violent content, compared with 89% of adults. A wider gap was recorded on conspiracy theories, with 63% of teenagers expressing concern, compared with 81% of adults.