Eight in ten Andalusians back social media ban for under-16s

In contrast, 8.9% remain neutral and 9.6% say they are opposed to such measures.

According to a survey by Barómetro Andaluz del Centro de Estudios Andaluces (CENTRA), 64.5% of Andalusians consider social media to be a source of "high dependence", while 27.8% believe they generate "some" dependence. In contrast, 5% believe they generate only "little dependence" and 0.9% believe there is no risk.

The results vary when it comes to the effect that social media has on individuals. While 38.3% of Andalusians say they are not at all dependent to social media, 33.1% say they are "somewhat" dependent. Meanwhile, 10.4% admit to being "quite’ dependent and 6.2% confess to being "very dependent".

The most widely used platforms, apart from WhatsApp at 28.5%, are Instagram and Facebook, at 25.4% and 19.5%, respectively.

Next on the list are TikTok, at 9.1%, and X (formerly Twitter) at 7.5%. No other platform exceeds 1% and only YouTube reaches 0.6%.

The measure refers to specific cases that have set a precedent in Europe. Last week, France passed the first European law to restrict access to social media for young people.

Under this law, from 1 September, children under the age of 15 will not be able to create accounts and the platforms will have four months to delete any existing accounts.

According to President Emmanuel Macron, "France is leading the way in Europe" for further similar legislation to protect the younger generations.

Former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also announced in June a law that will follow suit and ban social media for under-16s. "I am not prepared to compromise the safety and happiness of our children," he said in a statement on television.

Apart from these cases, the only countries that have regulated the use of social media are Australia, which was the first to do so in December 2025; Indonesia, which has a child population of 70 million children and adolescents; and the United Arab Emirates, which announced this measure in June.

Spain, Portugal and Germany have also announced similar initiatives, while other countries such as Greece have opted for regulations based on parental controls.

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