Social media ban for under-15s 'indispensable step': French education minister

'Today, our young people are victims of excessive screen exposure,' says Edouard Geffray

France’s education minister on Wednesday called the nation’s newly adopted social media ban for under-15s "an indispensable step," arguing that the platforms disconnect young people from the world. "It is, in any case, an indispensable step," Edouard Geffray told daily La Depeche. “Today, our young people spend several hours a day on so-called social media platforms which, in reality, disconnect them from the world, diminish their ability to concentrate, and can even give rise to suicidal thoughts.” He said the social media ban reflects the purpose of education, which is to teach young people how to use tools before putting them in their hands. "Is that enough? No. At the same time, we must offer them new spaces for social interaction, particularly through cultural and sporting activities," Geffray added. On the ban on cellphones in French high schools, he stressed that the real challenge is to help students understand the importance of using screens responsibly. "Today, our young people are victims of excessive screen exposure, which harms their social relationships, mental health, and cognitive abilities," Geffray said.   First EU country to ban social media for under-15s France became the first EU country on Tuesday to ban social media for under-15s when parliament passed the bill by a vote of 243-2 in the Senate and 279-81 in the National Assembly. "I had committed to it, and now it’s been voted on," President Emmanuel Macron said on the US social media platform X, praising the move. He noted that it is now up to the Constitutional Council to rule, after which the government can move to implementation and make the measure a reality. "Today, France is leading the way ... This law marks a decisive step forward. It provides greater protection for young people from the risks posed by social media and sends a clear message to platforms that they must now fully assume their responsibilities," Anne Le Henanff, the country’s digital minister, also wrote on X. Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, an announced candidate for next year’s presidential race, also called the passage a "decisive victory." "France is leading the way and building a protective shield around its youth ... By protecting our children today, we are preparing the future," he wrote on X. The law is set to take effect from the start of the September school year for newly created social media accounts, and from the beginning of January for accounts created before then.