Majority of Japanese youth aged 15–19 support restricting social media use

[Financial News] Amid active global discussions on regulating social media use by children and adolescents, survey results have shown that more than half of teenagers in their late teens in Japan support restrictions on social media usage.
According to the interim tally of the "Comprehensive Survey of 100,000 Youths" released by Japan's Agency for Children and Family Affairs, more than half of respondents across all age groups answered that "it is necessary to restrict social media use for children below a certain age" in an online survey conducted from May 20 to the 5th of last month targeting 101,950 people aged 15 to 39 (67,905 valid responses). The approval rate was highest among the 35–39 age group, the oldest group surveyed, at 56.4% for men and 71.7% for women; youth aged 15 to 19 also exceeded half, with 53.2% for men and 59.7% for women. Men consistently recorded approval rates in the 50% range across all age groups, while among women, approval was particularly high in their 30s—the generation raising children—with 69.7% of those aged 30 to 34 agreeing.
In the item asking for opinions on the statement that "it is necessary to restrict children's use of social media after a certain period of time," the approval rate for all age groups exceeded 50%, and the approval rate was highest among women in their 30s (70.9% for ages 30–34 and 73.1% for ages 35–39).
The Japanese government has established a working group within Japan's Agency for Children and Family Affairs to review whether to restrict children's use of social media. Last July, the working group released an interim report that included provisions requiring service providers to voluntarily assess the risks associated with children's social media use and disclose the findings. The report also emphasized the importance of beginning full-scale discussions on introducing uniform age-based usage restrictions. The Japanese government plans to pursue amendments to the Youth Internet Environment Improvement Act based on the final report, which is scheduled to be released in December.
Discussions on regulating social media use by children and adolescents have been actively underway globally since Australia banned social media use for those under 16 last December. The United Kingdom is pushing for legislation to block social media use by those under 16, and the European Union (EU) also plans to introduce regulations banning social media use by children across Europe. Malaysia has also prohibited children and adolescents under the age of 16 from having social media accounts since last June.
Amid discussions on similar regulations beginning in Korea, a recent survey conducted by the Korea Press Foundation's Media Research Center, targeting 1,000 people aged 14 to 58, found that 70.7% of respondents supported restricting social media use by adolescents.
[email protected] Hong Chae-wan Reporter