How many South Koreans support restricting teenagers’ social media use?

The poll found 70.7 percent support for a policy restricting teen social media use, while 29.3 percent opposed it. Among teen respondents, 59 percent opposed the plan and 41 percent supported it.

What age do Koreans think social media restrictions should start for teens?

The largest share of respondents, 16.8 percent, picked age 15 as the right point for a restriction. Another 14.9 percent chose 18, while 13.1 percent said 11 and younger.

Why did many respondents say a teen social media restriction would have limits?

A majority said teens could work around restrictions by using other people’s accounts or moving to new platforms that are not restricted. Because of that, 59.8 percent said platforms should instead do more to create a safer environment for users.

7 in 10 Koreans support social media restriction for teens

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Summary

Seven in 10 South Koreans support a policy restricting teenagers’ social media use, a poll showed Tuesday. The Korea Press Foundation survey found 70.7 percent in favor and 29.3 percent opposed among 1,000 respondents aged 14 to 58. Teen respondents were split the other way, with 59 percent opposing the plan. Many respondents also said platforms should focus on creating safer environments rather than imposing restrictions.

Key Facts

The Korea Press Foundation surveyed 1,000 people aged 14 to 58 last month.
Teen respondents made up one-fifth of the total sample.
When asked about an appropriate age for restrictions, 16.8 percent chose 15, 14.9 percent chose 18, and 13.1 percent chose 11 and younger.
A majority said any restriction would have limits because teens could use other people’s accounts or move to new, unrestricted platforms.
59.8 percent said platforms should do more to create a safe environment for social media use rather than restrict users.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 1, 2026 11:54 am KST

Seven in 10 South Koreans said they support the introduction of a policy restricting social media use by teenagers, a poll showed Tuesday, amid growing concerns over the excessive use of such platforms.

In the survey conducted on 1,000 respondents aged 14 to 58, 70.7 percent said they support such a policy, while 29.3 percent said they oppose it, according to the poll conducted by the Korea Press Foundation last month.

But among teen respondents, who accounted for one-fifth of the total, 59 percent said they oppose the plan, while 41 percent said they support it.

When asked about what would be the appropriate age to impose such a restriction, 16.8 percent of all the respondents picked 15, followed by 14.9 percent who picked 18, and 13.1 percent who picked 11 and younger.

A majority of the respondents, however, said even introducing such a policy would have limitations in restricting social media use by teens, citing the possibility of adolescent users using other people's accounts or moving onto new, unrestricted platforms.

Against such a backdrop, 59.8 percent said platforms should do more to create a safe environment for social media usage rather than imposing a restriction on its users, the poll showed.

In July, the country's media watchdog floated the idea of imposing a social media restriction against children aged 14 and younger, noting that excessive social media use by teenagers has become a worldwide problem.

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