France Sounds The Alarm On Social Media And Teen Mental Health As Under 15 Ban Looms

A Warning That Hits Close To Home

Scroll long enough on any teen’s phone and the signs are there. The comparison traps. The beauty filters. The pressure to be online, visible, liked.

Now France’s top health watchdog has put those concerns into stark scientific terms, warning that social media is actively harming the mental health of adolescents, with girls bearing the brunt of the damage.

The findings land at a moment when governments across the world are asking an uncomfortable question. Has the online world moved faster than our ability to protect children from it?

What France’s Health Experts Found

After five years of research and analysis of nearly 1,000 studies, France’s public health authority ANSES concluded that social media plays a significant role in the declining mental health of teenagers.

While the agency stopped short of calling social platforms the sole cause, it described their negative effects as numerous, well documented, and deeply embedded in how these platforms operate.

According to the report, social media creates powerful echo chambers that reinforce stereotypes, normalise risky behaviour and fuel cyberbullying. For many teens, especially girls, this environment amplifies insecurity rather than connection.

Why Girls Are More At Risk

The watchdog’s findings highlight a clear gender divide. Girls tend to spend more time on social platforms and are more exposed to unrealistic beauty standards driven by digitally altered images and influencer culture.

That constant exposure, ANSES warned, can erode self-esteem and increase the risk of depression and eating disorders. The pressure linked to gender stereotypes hits hardest online, where appearance and popularity often feel like social currency.

The report also noted that LGBTQ+ youth and teenagers with existing mental health conditions are particularly vulnerable to these online pressures.

France Considers A Hard Line

Against this backdrop, France is debating legislation that would ban children under 15 from accessing social media. One of the proposed bills has the backing of President Emmanuel Macron, signalling just how seriously the issue is being taken at the highest levels of government.

ANSES has urged lawmakers to go further than age limits alone. The agency argues that the real solution lies in forcing platforms to change how they work, from personalised algorithms and persuasive design features to default settings that encourage excessive use.

In short, protect children at the source, not just at the sign-up screen.

Australia Sets The Global Precedent

France’s debate follows a landmark move by Australia, which last month became the first nation to ban major platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for users under 16.

The decision has sent shockwaves through the tech world and emboldened other countries to consider similar measures. Supporters argue it is long overdue. Critics warn of unintended consequences.

Tech Pushback And Online Backlash

Tech giant Meta has publicly urged Australia to rethink its ban, revealing it had already blocked more than half a million underage accounts across Instagram, Facebook and Threads under the new law.

Meta claims some parents and experts fear bans could isolate young people from online support communities and push them toward less regulated platforms.

Meanwhile, X, owned by Elon Musk, has faced global outrage after its AI chatbot was used to generate sexualised images of women and children. The backlash has only intensified calls for stricter oversight of tech companies and their tools.

What Parents Are Saying

On French social media, reaction has been split. Some parents welcome the idea of a ban, saying it gives them backup in setting boundaries that feel impossible to enforce alone. Others worry that banning access does not teach teens how to navigate the digital world responsibly.

The debate echoes conversations happening in homes everywhere, including here in South Africa, where screen time battles and concerns about cyberbullying are part of everyday parenting.

A Turning Point For Social Media Regulation

France’s warning adds weight to a growing global consensus that the social media era needs firmer guardrails, especially for children. Whether bans are the answer or simply the beginning of a wider rethink remains up for debate.

What is clear is that governments are no longer willing to accept “that’s just how the internet works” when the mental health of a generation is at stake.

{Source:EWN}

Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter , TikTok and Instagram

For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com