Minister to combat social media addiction

In Denmark, 86,000 individuals are reported to suffer from social media addiction with an alarming number exhibiting addiction symptoms. Digitalization Minister Marie Bjerre expressed serious concerns about the situation, emphasizing the urgent need for regulatory action. The study from the National Institute of Public Health found that apart from the addicted, around 60% show signs of addiction. Bjerre highlighted the necessity of holding tech giants accountable and regulating their algorithms to reduce user retention. Additionally, she called for the implementation of age verification across the EU to protect children. The study sampled 1,958 people aged 16 to 64, and 2.3% display addiction as per researchers’ criteria, such as disruption to work or studies, or restlessness without access to social media.