JA: Looking at the rapidly changing policy landscape around social media, what do you see as the biggest gaps between policy ambitions, implementation, and the evidence?
ES: For someone who has long-studied policy and regulation in this field, the current wave of age bans is not unexpected. For years, in the EU responsibility for children's online experiences was largely left to industry and parents, while public institutions stepped back from direct regulation. As technology developed rapidly, parental concern grew, creating pressure for seemingly simple solutions to very complex problems.
Age bans bring together many different concerns: social media use, school smartphone bans, pornography, screen time, and worries about harmful content. But it is not always clear which problem a particular policy is designed to solve. For instance, many harmful design features are also found beyond social media.
What gets lost in the debate and demand for intervention is the diversity of children and their circumstances. Research shows that social media can create risks, but it can also provide connection, particularly for some groups, including young people in rural areas or those with disabilities. Good regulation needs to ask: which children are at risk, under what circumstances, and where can technology provide benefits? I would hope to see discussion where protection is seen as an enabling tool, not a restrictive one - one that does not exclude but rather secures.
JA: There is often a gap between nuanced academic evidence and actionable policy. What would a more holistic approach look like?
ES: We need to start with good-quality knowledge and be clearer about what research can contribute. Everyone has personal experience of children and of the media, but observation is not the same as evidence of causality. Scientific methods help us test assumptions and understand complexity.
We also need to be generous across disciplines. A finding that applies to a vulnerable group can be important without applying to every child; equally, the absence of a general effect does not mean that nobody is at risk. Policy needs to reflect that complexity rather than searching for one universal solution.
We should encourage policymakers and parents to talk to children and young people with curiosity. Understanding what they are actually doing - and what they value -can help distinguish genuine risks from assumptions.
JA: I was encouraged to see “empowerment” increasingly reflected in European policy. What do you think research can contribute here?
ES: One of our most important contributions may be giving policymakers a shared language for thinking about these issues. We need to distinguish different types of risks, recognize that children's rights involve more than protection, and identify solutions for particular groups and circumstances.
JA: So perhaps the challenge is imagining something beyond the solutions we already know.
ES: Exactly. Complex problems require complex solutions.
