Last October, digital ministers from 25 European Union member states signed the Jutland Declaration to introduce age verification on social media platforms and protect young people from their harmful effects.

In recent days, however, it became known that Estonia, together with Belgium, is among only two countries opposing a ban on social media for young people. Education Minister Kristina Kallas argued that bans are ineffective, while Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa-Ly Pakosta stated that Estonia believes in involving young people in the information society rather than excluding them.

Yet Estonian parents are increasingly worried about their children's behavior and mental health. Some have even launched a public initiative to ban social media for those under 16, arguing that "too-early and inappropriate use of smart devices and online activities can seriously harm children's health and well-being."

By now, it hardly comes as a surprise that excessive screen time affects children's cognitive development, including concentration, emotional regulation, and similar abilities. This is especially true for children under six, whose brains and nervous systems are still developing.

Citing several studies, the Estonian Institute for Health Development has pointed out that overly early and excessive screen use is linked to poorer language skills and speech development. Research has also identified a bidirectional relationship between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and excessive screen time: children with ADHD symptoms tend to use screens more, which in turn may exacerbate those symptoms.

It is widely acknowledged that the rise in mental health problems among young people coincides with the spread of smart devices and social media use. Spending more than three hours a day on social media may increase the risk of mental health issues, including depression. But three hours? Not long ago, Delfi published a conversation with young people who said they spend nearly 20 hours a day on social media — and who admitted they struggle to understand the Estonian language.

The problem is therefore serious, and Estonia's unexpected rigidity in refusing to sign this — essentially nonbinding — declaration is entirely baffling. It is certainly possible to bypass bans, as the government points out, yet the vast majority of laws regulate society precisely through prohibitions. For example, killing a person is illegal, yet it still happens. Should we then repeal the law against murder?

But there is more. In this whole debate, it seems to me that adults themselves, rather than children, are the greater culprits. And not only because many parents have — out of convenience or ignorance — lost control of their children's screen use, but because many adults are themselves addicted to social media.

It appears that politicians, in particular, suffer from this addiction, as social media offers them a convenient platform to broadcast their views. But if one reads the endless streams of posts by various ministers, one might feel that social media use should first be banned for politicians. Starting with those who sit in government and waste their precious working hours posturing online.

If you look at what is happening on the pages of certain politicians and political groups — and in their comment sections — it becomes abundantly clear that expressing one's thoughts from behind a screen feels so safe that all self-control disappears. Under the banner of so-called political struggle, the public space is flooded with insults, pettiness, bullying, mockery, humiliation, and all kinds of trivial or frivolous content. And this is being done by adults.

It seems that here, too — despite fully developed brains and nervous systems — we are dealing with a serious lack of emotional self-regulation. But what kind of atmosphere does this create? What example does it set for young people? What is the point of talking about school bullying as a problem when similar behavior is widely accepted throughout society?

Much has been said about how affluent societies are moving toward increasing infantilization. Indeed, what happens on social media only confirms this trend. So perhaps the European Union declaration should indeed be rejected in its current form — and returned with a request to expand it to include restrictions on social media use by adults as well, in order to protect young people from the negative and infantilizing content of these platforms.

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