Ban social media for minors, says top Swiss school principal

The issue of a ban on social media for minors often goes hand in hand with that of a ban on mobile phones in schools, said Minder. Keystone-SDA

Young people need to be better protected in their use of social media, said Thomas Minder, president of the Association of School Principals in German-speaking Switzerland.

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“Social media should be banned for minors,” Minder said in an interview published in Tamedia newspapers on Tuesday. Adults are already not in a position to use these applications sensibly, he said: “Do we really want algorithms to be developed to have a hold on our children’s immature brains?”

The president of the school principals association points out that the issue of a ban on social media for minors often goes hand in hand with that of a ban on mobile phones in schools. Banning mobile phones from school playgrounds is “political advertising by education ministers,” he added.

Comparing smartphone addiction to that of alcohol or tobacco, “particularly where social media are concerned”, he believes that the question should instead be how to protect young people in their use of smartphones.

Favourable public opinion

A study published in May revealed that 80% of Swiss people are in favour of a ban on social media for under-16s. Support for a ban on mobile phones in schools is almost as high.

In March, the Swiss senate approved a postulate calling for a study into whether banning access to platforms such as TikTok or Instagram for under-16s could have an effect on youth protection.

In Australia, which is a pioneer in restricting social media for minors, teenagers can only use social networks such as X, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram from the age of 16.

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Translated from French with DeepL/gw

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