UNESCO Online Press Briefing: Timely guide for parents navigating the complexities of digital life

Parents and policy-makers around the world are now calling for a ban preventing under-15s or under-16 from accessing range of social media platforms deemed harmful. Australia was the first to enact such a ban in December 2025. But is too much hope being invested in the idea of a ban? Regulators in Australia say the measure has not resulted in a significant drop-off of underage social media use - around 70 percent of the target group remain on the banned platforms. Furthermore, there is a new challenge we must face which cannot be contained by a ban: that posed by AI.

A new guide developed by UNESCO and CLEMI to be released on 22 June, responds to mounting empirical evidence that excessive, poorly-supported social media use is associated with cognitive, emotional, physical, and social risks, especially for children and adolescents. The guide empowers and equips parents to help their children navigate digital spaces safely, critically, and autonomously with concrete advice from a range of experts.

• What? An online press briefing with both English and French interpretation
• When? Tuesday 16th June at 15.00 CET
• Who?
  • Mariya Gabriel, Assistant Director General of Communications and Information, UNESCO,
  • Adeline Hulin UNESCO's chief of Media Information Literacy,
  • Viginnie Sassson, Assistant Director, CLEMI, France,
• Where? On Zoom - please register here to attend

UNESCO and CLEMI advocate shifting the parametres of the debate and moving beyond reactive bans to proactive protection measures. Building robust critical-thinking skills is the best defence against the risks posed by both social media and AI. And this support is urgently needed if we are to prevent today's children from being left to left to fend for themselves in the world of AI as the social media generation were.

At UNESCO, media and information literacy (MIL) is a global programme which aims to empower individuals with critical thinking skills and digital competencies in the face of rapid technological advancements.

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Recent UNESCO data indicates that more than half the countries in the world ban the use of mobile phones in schools. UNESCO does not endorse blanket bans on smartphones in all circumstances, but it does support restrictions, including bans, to prevent their use from obstructing learning; arguing they should only be used in schools under clear educational justification.