The Network of Peace Journalists (NPJ) has called on African governments to ban children under the age of 16 from using social media platforms to protect them from the harmful effects of excessive online exposure.
NPJ’s call comes as child-rights experts in the European Union (EU) have proposed restricting children under 13 from using social media unless supervised by a parent or teacher.
In a press statement, the Team Leader of the Network of Peace Journalists, Mr. Ibrahima Yakubu, said unrestricted access to social media has contributed to cyberbullying, online exploitation, exposure to harmful and violent content, declining academic performance, addiction, and mental health challenges among children and teenagers.
Mr. Yakubu noted that a growing number of countries have introduced measures to regulate children’s use of social media. He cited Australia, which has approved legislation to prevent children under 16 from accessing social media platforms; France, which requires parental consent for children under 15 to create social media accounts; Spain, which has proposed raising the minimum age for social media use to 16; and Norway, which has announced plans to increase the minimum age for social media access while strengthening protections for minors.
He urged African governments to adopt similar policies to safeguard children from online dangers and promote healthier childhood development.
The NPJ leader also recommended that governments enact legislation compelling social media companies to implement effective age-verification systems and impose strict penalties on platforms that fail to protect underage users.
In addition, Mr. Yakubu called for increased investment in digital literacy programmes to educate children, parents, and teachers on responsible internet use and online safety.
He further advocated for the inclusion of digital citizenship and online safety education in school curricula across Africa.
