Luxembourg youth oppose social media ban

The idea of banning access to social media for teenagers under the age of 15–16, which is being discussed by MPs in the Luxembourg parliament, has been met with fierce criticism from those directly affected. Jugendrot — the General Conference of Youth of Luxembourg (Conférence générale de la jeunesse du Luxembourg, CGJL) — has officially spoken out against the initiative, calling it disproportionate and questionable in terms of effectiveness.

In its statement, the organisation emphasises that it recognises the existing risks associated with the use of social media by children and adolescents and welcomes the attention given to this issue by the Luxembourg and European authorities. However, according to Jugendrot, a blanket ban on access to platforms until a certain age does not solve the problem systematically. Moreover, CGJL points to the lack of a clear scientific consensus confirming that such restrictions actually improve the safety and well-being of young users.

One of the key arguments against the ban is the risk of it being circumvented. The youth organisation fears that a significant proportion of teenagers will simply look for alternative ways to access digital services or move to less regulated, and sometimes completely unregulated, online spaces. According to their assessment, such a scenario could have the opposite effect — increasing vulnerability and risks instead of reducing them.

As an alternative, Jugendrot proposes shifting the focus of policy towards strengthening the regulation of the platforms themselves, as well as developing digital and media literacy among young users. The need for a pan-European approach is emphasised separately in order to avoid fragmentation of rules and ineffective national solutions in a cross-border digital environment.

However, the central thesis of the statement is political rather than technical in nature. CGJL insists: "No decision affecting young people should be taken without their direct involvement." According to the organisation, teenagers and young people should be involved in the development, implementation and evaluation of measures that affect their everyday digital practices. Such involvement is seen as a necessary condition for creating realistic, workable and sustainable solutions that will not only be formally adopted but also actually complied with.