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Recent research indicates that 7 out of 10 citizens believe that restrictions should be placed on youth social media use. In a survey conducted by the Korea Press Foundation's Media Research Center, 1,000 citizens aged 14 to 58 were asked about their perceptions regarding the creation of a safe social media environment for youth, and 70.7% responded in favor of social media restriction policies. Among them, 28.7% were 'strongly in favor' and 42.0% were 'somewhat in favor.' In contrast, 29.3% expressed opposition, with 22.3% being 'somewhat opposed' and 7.0% 'strongly opposed.'
However, a survey of 200 youth revealed that 59.0% opposed restrictions, outnumbering the 41.0% who supported them, clearly showing a generational perception gap. This contrasts with the 77.5% of adults with children and 78.3% of adults without children who supported the restriction policies. When asked about the appropriate age for social media use, the most common response was 15 years old at 16.8%, followed by 18 years old at 14.9% and under 12 years old at 13.1%.
According to the survey, many respondents expressed concerns that even if age restriction policies were implemented, there would still be possibilities for circumvention. Additionally, 72.0% of youth respondents supported strengthening platform responsibilities over restrictions. Yang Jeong-ae, a senior research fellow at the Korea Press Foundation, emphasized that to create a safe social media environment for youth, it is necessary to enhance platform responsibilities as well as education from families and schools, in addition to age restriction policies. This survey confirms the perception gap between youth and adults and is expected to serve as important foundational data for future policy discussions.