FAU experts speak out against a social media ban for children and adolescents.
No more reels, no selfies with funny filters, no heated discussion columns. Silence in digital space. The debate about a social media ban for children and adolescents is increasingly gaining traction in Germany as well as in other countries. Calls for a ban are becoming louder. However, for experts at the Institute of Educational Science at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) this radical demand raises more questions than it answers. Instead of pulling the plug on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and co, they call for a more consistent implementation of existing rules, better educational support and a focus on teaching media literacy.
Professor Dr. Franco Rau believes that a ban on social media, for instance for under 16 year olds, would be a step in the wrong direction. “Introducing a ban would touch immediately on several fundamental rights, freedom of expression, freedom of information and the right to digital participation,” warns the holder of the FAU Chair of School Education focusing on Digitalization in Teaching. In his opinion, it would also entail far-reaching collateral damage for young people if they were left to cope all by themselves with a conflict that they will inevitably be faced with in future. “I am not in favor of setting young people out into the world of social media at the age of 16 without any opportunity to prepare. That would inevitably entail other problems.”
The negative repercussions of using social media have also sparked intense debate among the experts at the Institute of Educational Science. “Unrealistic ideals of beauty and idealized ways of life publicized via social media can have a negative impact on young people’s life satisfaction and their mental health,” stresses Professor Dr. Rudolf Kammerl. “In addition, providers of social media use opaque algorithms and manipulative, at times even banned, design elements to bind users to their platforms, encouraging them to spend more and more time there and consume other content than what they had originally intended.”
Advocating for better social media skills
These “dark patterns” allegedly contribute to the fact that approximately one quarter of adolescents develop addictive or dangerous social media habits. Not to forget the political and social risks: Social media platforms not only offer a platform for exchange, but can also be used by certain factions to exert influence, in particular the far right. At the same time, supposedly attractive ideals of masculinity and success that actually convey misogynous, anti-democratic and toxic worldviews are gaining a foothold on the various platforms.
For Rudolf Kammerl, holder of the Chair of Education focusing on Media Education, however, these are the very reasons why a clear cut along the lines advocated by the Federal Ministers of Justice and Family Affairs would actually prove counterproductive. In his opinion, it would make more sense to concentrate more on the prohibited use of “dark patterns” and to focus on educating young people on these practices, attempts at gaining influence and the consequences. In addition, age limits are already in place.
A ban would be an own goal for democracy
“I believe politicians have an obligation to exert greater controls and sanctions on providers who fail to implement existing age controls,” stresses Dr. Jane Müller, research associate at the Chair of Education focusing on Media Education and head of the research group Digital Sovereignty of Adolescents. Franco Rau, Rudolf Kammerl and Jane Müller call for a more differentiated approach. They believe that focusing on the toxicity of social media is too short-sighted. Instead, they call for taking an education-based approach to minimize risks and to put adolescents in a position where they can deal with social media in a competent and responsible manner.
The FAU researchers believe that debates often fail to mention that there are also positive aspects to using social media effectively and competently. “The vast majority of young people do not develop dangerous or pathological social media habits,” underlines Professor Dr. Rudolf Kammerl. “A general ban would limit their rights to participation, freedom of expression and freedom of information,” adds Dr. Jane Müller.
Meaningful alternatives to the ban
Furthermore: “Nowadays, social media provides a platform for political education. If we were to remove this source of information from young people, that would be like scoring an own goal for democracy.” In addition, she believes that social media can also be used in other positive ways in daily life, for instance to stay in contact with family or to share answers to questions.
Instead of enforcing a social media ban for children and adolescents under a certain age, the FAU team advocates promoting media skills at schools over the long term and encouraging quality assurance in the context of digitalization at schools. “We need more teachers with media skills who can train future generations and give them the skills they need to shape the digital transformation of our society,” emphasizes Professor Dr. Franco Rau.
Social media should serve young people, not the other way around
For him, also in his position as a member of the board of the Division for Media Education at the German Educational Research Association (GERA), schools are incredibly important when it comes to dealing responsibly with social media. It is the only place where it is possible to reach all children and adolescents. For all these reasons, the experts at the Institute of Educational Science at FAU advocate for better educational support and the promotion of media literacy.
Also within the context of the two-day conference organized by the Division for Media Education of GERA, that will take place at FAU in Nuremberg on 18 and 19 September. Approximately 60 presentations and input sessions will provide a forum to discuss research results and introduce further training opportunities available for teachers and multiplicators. Franco Rau, Rudolf Kammerl and Jane Müller believe that the key question is not: “Should Germany ban social media for young people?” but rather: “How can we ensure that social media serves young people, and not vice versa?”
Further information:
Prof. Dr. Franco Rau
Holder of the Chair of School Education focusing on Digitalization in Teaching
franco.rau@fau.de
Prof. Dr. Rudolf Kammerl
Holder of the Chair of Education focusing on Media Education
0911530295520
rudolf.kammerl@fau.de
Dr. Jane Müller
Research associate at the Chair of Education focusing on Media Education
0911530295149
jane.mueller@fau.de