Signal Child safety online: EU survey confirms link between screen time and wellbeing / Protecting young people's mental health requires more than a social media ban

Summary

A European Commission Eurobarometer survey, published 16 June 2026 alongside the final meeting of the Special Panel on child safety online, officially reconfirmed the association between adolescent screen time, social media use and adverse mental health across the EU. Young people across Europe spend on average 4.5 hours online on a school day and 6.1 hours on weekends, with 14% reporting more than 10 hours of screen time daily. Nearly one in three adolescents said social media left them feeling stressed, sad or socially excluded, 45% said they compare themselves to others on social media, and a quarter encountered problematic content such as hate speech. Adolescents who began using social media before age 10 reported 7.5 hours of weekend screen time, versus 5.7 hours for those who started after 14, and over half of parents said screens negatively impact their children's lives. Commission President von der Leyen said the findings on stress and problematic content could not be ignored, and the Panel's co-chairs were due to present recommendations to her on 13 July. Mental health advocates argue that protection requires more than a ban.