7 in 10 S. Koreans support social media restriction for teens

Seoul, September 1 - A recent poll reveals that a majority of South Koreans back the idea of imposing a social media usage restriction on teenagers, amid mounting worries about excessive platform consumption. Conducted by the Korea Press Foundation on 1,000 respondents aged 14 to 58, the survey found that 70.7% back such a policy, while 29.3% oppose it. Yet, among teens constituting a fifth of the respondents, 59% oppose the plan, while 41% support it.

When asked about the suitable age to enforce this restriction, 16.8% of the respondents suggested 15, followed by 14.9% favoring 18, and 13.1% backing 11 and younger. However, the majority acknowledged that even introducing such a policy would face challenges in enforcing it, citing the potential for adolescents to use other users' accounts or shift to unregulated platforms.

In light of this, 59.8% of respondents favor platforms taking proactive measures to ensure a safe social media environment rather than imposing a restriction on users.

In July, South Korea's media watchdog also proposed the idea of restricting social media access for children aged 14 and younger, citing the global concern over excessive social media usage among teenagers.