Why France Wants Kids Off Social Media

You peek into your teenager's room at 11 PM and catch that telltale glow beneath the door. "Just finishing homework," they mumble, but you know better—one more video, one more scroll. This nightly struggle plays out in homes everywhere, which is why France is testing something bold: banning social media for anyone under 15.

On December 31, 2025, French officials announced a draft law that would prohibit platforms from serving social media to kids under 15. If it clears legal review on January 8 and parliamentary debate on January 19, the rule takes effect September 2026. President Emmanuel Macron, calling youth screen protection a priority, also wants to extend France's school phone ban into high schools. The strategy is simple: shift responsibility from parents to platforms.

This isn't France's first attempt. A 2023 law required parental consent for under-15 accounts, but technical barriers made enforcement nearly impossible. Even the 2018 ban on phones in primary and middle schools has been unevenly applied. This new draft aims to avoid the EU compliance issues that blocked an earlier "digital legal age" approach, though experts still expect friction with Europe's Digital Services Act.

The Health Stakes Parents Already See

The draft law names what families witness daily: excessive screen time disrupts sleep, exposes kids to inappropriate content, and amplifies anxiety. Research confirms the pattern. Cyberbullying affects 10 to 40 percent of children. Heavy social media use correlates with attention problems, delayed language development, and weight gain from sedentary behavior.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends zero screen time for kids under 18-24 months (except video chats), one hour of co-viewed educational content for ages 2-5, and no more than two recreational hours for older kids—always protecting sleep and physical activity.

Sleep takes the hardest hit. Kids scrolling past bedtime absorb blue light and emotional stimulation when their brains need rest. Experts suggest a screen-free hour before bed, but try enforcing that during a group chat crisis.

Why Not Just "Parent Better"?

The policy rationale is straightforward: platforms, not exhausted caregivers, should carry the enforcement burden. Instead of you playing digital cop nightly, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat would face penalties for letting under-15s create accounts. The law targets what critics call "addiction by design"—infinite scrolls and unpredictable likes engineered to keep kids hooked.

The Tradeoffs Families Would Actually Feel

Parents might finally escape nightly negotiations. Kids could sleep better, focus more on homework, and rediscover offline hobbies. The policy sends a signal: childhood isn't testing ground for engagement algorithms. In Australia, which launched a similar under-16 ban on December 10, 2025, some parents report "taking back power" from tech companies.

But enforcement remains tricky. France's past bans were poorly followed. Kids find workarounds—VPNs, borrowed logins, web versions. Age verification might push platforms to collect more personal data, creating new privacy tensions. Then there's the social cost: teens build friendships, explore identities, and organize events through these platforms. Total cutoff could feel isolating, especially for kids who already struggle to connect.

Australia's early rollout reveals these tensions. While some 15-year-old influencers lost access overnight, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant acknowledged that under-16s won't "magically disappear." Platforms are still defining "reasonable steps" for compliance, and some teens have already boasted about circumventing restrictions.

What Your Family Can Try Tonight

Whether you live in Paris or Phoenix, you don't need legislation to experiment with boundaries. Start here:

Co-create a family media plan with input from your teen. Kids follow rules they help design.

Device-free dinners and phone charging stations in the kitchen remove the temptation to scroll in bed.

Screen-free bedrooms protect sleep. Buy an old-school alarm clock so their phone isn't the last thing they see at night.

Swap the default: Keep library books, art supplies, or sports gear where devices used to live.

Schedule social substitutes: Regular hangouts, movie nights, or outdoor time so "going offline" doesn't mean "going nowhere."

Model the behavior: When you put your own phone away during family time, the rule feels less like punishment.

The Question Beneath the Ban

France's experiment highlights a messy modern challenge: how do we protect developing brains and mental health without severing kids from their social world? The blunt tool of a ban might work for some families, but it's no instant solution. Australia's early stumbles suggest the real answer lives somewhere between platform accountability, smart age verification, and family norms that feel fair rather than forced. If the goal is healthier, more present kids, maybe the best lever isn't just a law—it's what happens in that glow beneath the bedroom door.