Too young to scroll? Rethinking consent in the digital age 

What is the right age to be able to access social media? Different countries are starting to legislate on the issue. It is also a hot topic in Switzerland, where the government is drawing up a report on the subject, at the parliament’s instigation. “Auntie, I’ve just spent two hours watching videos of horses and I didn’t even realise it,” declares my niece. She is only 14 and lives in symbiosis with her smartphone. It contains the world in a single device: alarm clock, music, train timetables, city maps, social media platforms (Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, etc.), not to mention the countless chats on WhatsApp. This is the universe of infinite scrolling, which is posing new challenges for everyday life, family dynamics and educational models. Many countries have started to legislate on the issue, imposing user age restrictions on platform operators. The first to act was Australia. The clampdown came into effect in December 2025. Companies must now take steps to ensure that only ...