Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal has tasked experts with proposing measures to address the negative impact of social media and video games on the mental health of young people.
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal has tasked experts with proposing measures to address the negative impact of social media and video games on the mental health of young people, Euronews reported.
A 10-member advisory council is expected to present recommendations for the government, parents and young people by next year. The experts will examine mental health risks, problematic use of digital devices and ways to create a safer online environment.
“Anxiety and mental health problems among young people are a serious and growing issue,” Michal said. He stressed that finding solutions that genuinely help young people is more important than simply imposing bans.
A 2025 study in Estonia found that students are increasingly exposed to disturbing online content, sexual messages, cyberbullying and excessive internet use.
Another study found that the share of 11- to 15-year-olds showing signs of problematic social media use rose from 6% in 2018 to 8% in 2022. The figure reached 10% among girls. Longer use of electronic media has been associated with shorter sleep, lower life satisfaction, poorer school performance and more frequent depressive episodes.
Estonia is joining a growing number of countries looking for ways to reduce risks to children in the digital environment. Last week, Meta announced new restrictions on Instagram and Facebook, including limiting children’s access around midnight and restricting their daily use to two hours. | BGNES