Norway Raises Age Limit to 15 for Social Media – Keeping Kids Safer Online!

Norway is planning to enforce a stricter minimum age of 15 for social media use. The Norwegian government believes that tech companies are affecting children’s minds negatively, especially with the power of algorithms.

Right now, kids as young as 9 are already on social media, even though the current limit is 13. To tackle this, the government will introduce more safeguards, like changing data laws so kids under 15 can’t give consent for their data to be handled by social media platforms. They’re also working on better age verification methods.

The Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, admitted that this will be a tough fight since tech companies are powerful. However, he believes protecting kids from harmful content is crucial. He added that while social media can help some lonely kids connect, it can also harm them by making them passive and less independent thinkers.

The Minister for Children and Families, Kjersti Toppe, mentioned that this initiative is also meant to help parents who feel pressured to let their kids use social media. It gives parents the backing to say no when they want to.

Nine out of ten Norwegian children from ages 9 to 18 use social media. The percentage increases with age, but there are also many younger users. In the 9 to 12 age group, 79 per cent of girls and 69 per cent of boys use social media. Snapchat is most frequently used, but Instagram is also popular (source: Children and media 2018, Norwegian Media Authority).