Too young to scroll? Rethinking consent in the digital age 

Never again without them. The younger generation and the ubiquitous smartphones. AFP

What is the right age to be able to access social media? Different countries are starting to legislate on the issue. It is also a hot topic in Switzerland, where the government is drawing up a report on the subject, at the parliament’s instigation.

“Auntie, I’ve just spent two hours watching videos of horses and I didn’t even realise it,” declares my niece. She is only 14 and lives in symbiosis with her smartphone. It contains the world in a single device: alarm clock, music, train timetables, city maps, social media platforms (Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, etc.), not to mention the countless chats on WhatsApp. This is the universe of infinite scrolling, which is posing new challenges for everyday life, family dynamics and educational models.  

Many countries have started to legislate on the issue, imposing user age restrictions on platform operators. The first to act was Australia. The clampdown came into effect in December 2025. Companies must now take steps to ensure that only those who are over 16 can use their social media platforms. If they fail to do so, they risk a fine of 50 million Australian dollars (CHF26 million). This concerns the social media platforms most used by young people (and not only): Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X and YouTube. The text of the law can be found hereExternal link.  

France is also preparing to follow in Australia’s footsteps, by further lowering the age for access to social media. A ban for under-15s has just been approved by the lower house of parliamentExternal link. Similar laws are reportedly being worked on in Denmark, Norway, Spain, Italy, Greece and Germany.  

What is Switzerland doing? 

In Switzerland, too, there is widespread concern about the effects of daily digital use on the lives of young people. In October 2025, an interview with Thomas Minder, head of the Association of School Principals in German-speaking Switzerland, caused a stir. Published in the Tamedia Group newspapers, the interview was taken up by different news agencies for Minder’s forthright comments on a hotly discussed topic: “Social media should be banned for minors,” he said, comparing their addictive potential to that of alcohol and tobacco.   

In the wee hours, a ten-year-old boy checks his Instagram profile. Keystone / Laurent Gillieron

In parliament, a postulate submitted by Maya Graf (of the left-wing Green Party), entitled “Protecting children and young people from the harmful use of social mediaExternal link” swung the balance. This was by no means time the issue had been voiced in the Federal Palace. Graf’s postulate was unanimously approved by the Senate and accepted by the Federal Council, the Swiss government’s executive body, which promised an in-depth report on the question.  

A veteran member of the Swiss parliament, where she has served since 2001, Graf, who is also a trained social worker, explained her motivations to tvsvizzera.it. “Generation Z has grown up as digital natives, but studies increasingly show that excessive consumption has a negative impact on development and mental health and limits the potential for concentration and learning.” While science offers no definitive answers, there is growing evidence of the effects of daily digital use on human behaviour. Graf mentions dopamine, in particular. The immediate gratification effect pushes us to use digital devices compulsively, and the constant stimuli impel us to multitask.   

Intrusiveness versus disconnection 

Multitasking, that is doing several things at the same time, is “a myth of our society, long presented as positive; it’s time we got rid of it,” says Mario Sgarrella. He is the founder of unpluggoExternal link, a Swiss platform that organises seminars on strategies and practices to limit the intrusiveness of screens in everyday life. Sgarrella calls himself a “digital liberator.” As for banning social media for those under a certain age, he says: “I think it’s an important step at this point in history, and that the Australian case will be an interesting test. But it’s one approach among many. Because this is a collective problem that affects society as a whole.”   

Sgarrella refers to the principle of precaution and mentions other areas where age limits have been introduced for historical and scientific reasons: “Think of alcohol consumption or consensual sex. Or driving a car. But a ban alone is not enough; we also have to educate. You can drive at 18, but first you must take lessons. This is also essential when it comes to digital technology.” 

Digital media as a social glue. The telephone as playground. Caia Image / Science Photo Library

Sgarrella highlights the role in digital activities of the prefrontal cortex, which controls discernment and judgement, but which “develops after the age of 20 or even 25”. This makes young people particularly vulnerable to excessive use of digital media. Moreover, our brain is “programmed for novelty. With these devices, it is like having a slot machine in your pocket, constantly churning out new things that seem exciting to us”.  

Everyday digital technology is designed to distract and fill time, but Sgarrella underscores “the importance of boredom” and the need to “listen to your thoughts”. For children, he says, it is important to build a proper “digital family culture”, in which adults set an example. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, for instance “when you say to your son in the evening: ‘Wait, I still have to send an email’, while he knows full well that you were working all day”. 

Prohibition and complexity  

Green Party parliamentarian Graf is in favour of a ban: “Article 67 of the Constitution commits the federal government and the cantons to protecting children and young people. I believe that clearer regulation of the sector is needed to protect against excessive use, and this should also apply to schools.” Does everyone agree? Graf emphasises that “it is not a question of political left or right, and in fact my postulate was unanimously adopted”, but she is aware that in some education circles “it is thought that the problem can be solved with greater awareness. I think this is important, but not without clear rules”.  

The Federal Commission for Child and Youth Affairs, meanwhile, has rejected the ban, calling it “a supposed solution to a complex problemExternal link”. The commission notes that the UN Convention on the Rights of the ChildExternal link enshrines the right to access to information and age-appropriate education, and lays down that the views of children and young people “must be given due weight in all matters affecting them”. The commission says it is in favour of rules drawn up through participatory deliberation, avoiding bans “that would limit the capacity to act of both parents and children”. 

Outside the classroom. In many cantons, mobile phones are also banned during the lunch break. AFP

Some cantons, meanwhile, have forbidden the use of personal digital devices in schools. In Geneva, for example, they are banned not only during class time but also in the lunch breakExternal link. Canton Aargau has even outlawed them on school tripsExternal link, with exceptions being made for special family or educational needs. The main reason for the measures is the constant disruption of clicks and the social impact, as mobile phones are a primary platform for bullying. Heralded by many as revolutionary, these bans are drawing criticism in Switzerland and elsewhere from those who see them as government overreach in the private lives of young people and in the choices of families and school authorities.  

A refuge from real life 

Sgarrella often works with very young people. By the time parents contact him however, it is often too late. “There is already an addiction problem, and they need psychotherapy,” he notes.  

Isolation is one of the warning signs. By this, he means, situations “when the phone becomes a refuge from real life. If your daughter locks herself in her room for hours and stays glued to TikTok, if she avoids leaving the house at all costs, if she doesn’t want to go outdoors and doesn’t have any hobbies, and her grades at school are sinking.” 

Life as an influencer. The tools of the trade for a TikToker. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Sgarrella starts his workshop for young people with the question: “Do you think your parents spend too much time on their mobile phones?”  

This seems to work like magic. “They open up and have a lot to say,” he says. “They want to learn more. And when they realise that these companies are getting rich with every click, they feel cheated and question their use of their devices.”  

Tips for digital wellbeing  

– Designate certain rooms and times when you do not use your mobile phone. 

– Set up a device charging point in a common area of your home, never in the bedrooms.  

– Follow the “toothbrush rule”: no digital activity one hour before bedtime and one hour after waking up.  

– One day a week, and one week a year, the whole family disconnects. Organise fun activities, where possible outdoors, not necessarily expensive ones. 

– Remove apps you do not use from your phone and turn off notifications. 

– “Batch” your replies: react to messages in a dedicated time block rather than instantly.  

– Install an app that helps you monitor your digital consumption.  

For children, unpluggo.ch recommends in particular: 

 – Building a positive family culture: show interest in what your son is  doing on his phone; ask your daughter to do some research for the next holiday, either independently or with you.  

– The 3/6/9/12 rule. In the first three years of life, allow video calls with grandma and grandpa, at most. Between the ages of three and six, let them watch a few videos or cartoons, but never on their own. Between six and nine, they start wanting a phone: it is time to start digital education. Between nine and 12, many families decide to give their children a device, but this does not have to be a smartphone. In any case, now is the moment to set boundaries on time and content. From age 12 onwards, respect is needed along with guidance and role models: “Tell me what you like. Let’s do it together”.  

Protection and transparency 

In Switzerland the issue is intertwined with other approaches, also aimed at legislating in the digital world and forcing companies to improve user rights. After many delays, sparking protests from experts and sector associations, the government finally issued the Federal Act on Communication Platforms and Search EnginesExternal link for consultation in late October 2025.  

In a report on the market power and opinion of digital companies, the Federal Media Commission has proposed regulatory measures on a range of issues, including algorithm-based recommendation and moderation systems, transparency, AI and the promotion of media and digital skills. 

The entire world in a single device. Keystone / Christof Schuerpf

The Swiss child and youth support agency Pro Juventute is also calling for stricter regulation of online platforms. It has proposed various measuresExternal link in the areas of protection, transparency and accountability, such as tracking-free, child-friendly platforms (so-called “privacy by default”). 

The report in response to Graf’s postulate has been entrusted to the Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO), the national agency responsible for child protection and the “youth and media” platformExternal link. It should be published in the second half of 2027.  

The debate, therefore, is ongoing.  

Adapted from Italian by Julia Bassam/ds