Children's digital consumption and social media regulation

While the new regulation restricting children under the age of 15 from using social media platforms and introducing mandatory age verification is planned to enter into force on November 1, experts draw attention to the algorithmic content and commercial purposes that children are exposed to in the digital world.

Discussions regarding the presence of children in digital environments are on the agenda with the new age restriction for social media. The new regulation, which restricts children under the age of 15 from using social media platforms and introduces mandatory age verification, is planned to enter into force on November 1. Experts state that protecting children in the digital world is not only possible through age restrictions, and that what they watch as well as which content is presented to them and for what commercial purposes has gained importance.

Communication academic Prof. Dr. Yasemin Giritli İnceoğlu approaches children's exposure to algorithmic content at an early age from the perspective of media ethics and children's rights, pointing out that the real problem is not what they watch, but who decides what they will watch. Specialist Psychologist Aynur Sayım, on the other hand, points to the potential effects of content based on fast and intense stimuli on attention, focus, impulse control, and emotion regulation skills.