How much time do you spend on social media every week? Studies show that about three-fourths of American teenagers use social media every day. One-third of those teenagers admit that they engage almost constantly with these platforms. Ongoing studies suggest that heavy social media usage can have many negative side effects for young people. It may have especially negative impacts on teens’ mental health.
Lawmakers in France recently decided to ban social media for anyone under the age of fifteen. While the ban was ultimately struck down by the nation’s courts, many other European nations are considering similar measures to protect children from the potential harms of social media use.
France’s Ban
In July 2026, France became the first country in the European Union (EU) to ban social media for kids. Officials said that the decision to address the problem came after several families in France sued TikTok for harmful content. A recent study of French teenagers revealed that 90 percent of them use their smartphones daily, with 58 percent using them to access social media. The law also aimed to ban cell phone use in schools.
How Did People React?
Those who were in favor of the ban pointed out that social media use among teens has been linked to low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and self-harming behaviors. Though France was the first country in Europe to impose an outright ban, other EU nations were watching the outcome of France’s efforts carefully. Leaders in Spain, Denmark, and Greece indicated that they favored a similar ban to protect young people from social media. Australia has already instituted a complete social media ban for anyone under the age of sixteen. (But critics of Australia’s ban question its overall effectiveness.) A similar social media ban was proposed in the United Kingdom in June 2026 by former British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Those opposed to the ban originally passed in France argued that it was not constitutional. Those critics also said that it would be impossible to enforce. The requirement to give your age when opening a new social media account could be a violation of privacy.
The Constitutional Council Responds
French President Emmanuel Macron had hoped to start rolling out the ban next month, with the start of the new 2026 school year. However, though the new law passed both chambers of the French Parliament and was approved by President Macron, it was struck down in August by France’s top court, the Constitutional Council. The Council claimed that the ban would violate teenagers’ constitutional freedom of expression. In response, President Macron’s office announced plans to begin drafting a new version of the bill as soon as possible.
Could It Happen Here?
If bans on teen social media use are being considered in Europe and are in place in Australia, could such a ban be passed in the United States?
No one can predict the future, of course. Many polled Americans support a total social media ban for Americans under the age of sixteen. The state of California has already begun down this legislative path. California’s Assembly Bill 1709 proposed a ban of social media for California citizens under the age of sixteen. The bill has unanimously passed the state Assembly and is currently awaiting a vote in the state Senate.
However, questions remain about whether a U.S. social media ban would violate the free-speech protections guaranteed by the Constitution.