Key facts
- 70.7% of South Koreans support restricting social media use for teenagers.
- 59% of teen respondents oppose such restrictions.
- Respondents suggested 15 as the most appropriate age for restrictions.
- A majority believe restrictions have limitations and platforms should focus on safety.
- South Korea's media watchdog had previously considered a ban for those 14 and younger.
Seven in 10 South Koreans support the introduction of a policy restricting social media use by teenagers, according to a poll released Tuesday, amid growing concerns over excessive use of such platforms.
The survey, conducted by the Korea Press Foundation on 1,000 respondents aged 14 to 58, found that 70.7 percent supported such a policy, while 29.3 percent opposed it.
However, among teen respondents, who comprised one-fifth of the total, 59 percent opposed the plan, while 41 percent supported it.
When asked about the appropriate age for such a restriction, 16.8 percent of all respondents chose 15, followed by 14.9 percent who picked 18, and 13.1 percent who chose 11 and younger.
A majority of respondents also indicated that imposing such a policy would have limitations, citing the possibility of teens using other people's accounts or moving to unrestricted platforms.
Consequently, 59.8 percent of respondents believe that social media platforms should do more to create a safe environment for usage rather than imposing restrictions on users.
In July, the country's media watchdog had floated the idea of imposing a social media restriction against children aged 14 and younger, acknowledging excessive social media use by teenagers as a global issue.