Discussions Begin on Whether Bulgaria Should Restrict Social Media Access for Children

Debates have begun on whether social media access for Bulgarian children should be restricted, and up to what age — 14, 15 or 16. The concerns include addiction, deteriorating mental health and depression. According to the Minister of e-Governance, by the end of 2026 a European tool will be introduced to verify children’s real age on social networks, rather than the one they declare themselves.

Data from various studies were presented today, according to which Bulgarian children spend on average an hour and a half on social networks, or 10% of their day. Ninety-five per cent of pupils use social networks daily. The biggest risk comes from short-form videos, which provide instant gratification but lead to dependency. The consequences include lack of sleep, depression, delayed brain development and diminished social interaction. The Ministry of Education is launching discussions on how to limit children’s access to these platforms.

Krasimir Valchev, Minister of Education and Science: "First of all, what we can all do is appeal to parents, we as parents — we, as parents, must limit children’s use of social networks."

BNT: Do your children use, do you allow them?

"Oh, they use them — of course they do."

BNT: How are you going to fight this?

"The younger ones don’t use social networks; the older one does. For now, it’s about talking."

The exact age limit has not yet been determined.

Krassimir Valchev, Minister of Education and Science: "Most countries choose 14, 15 or 16. This is a decision we will make later. Allow me not to commit to a specific age today."

Pupil:
"I don’t think it should happen, because social media is important and it’s the future — but it shouldn’t be abused or used during lessons."

Neda, Grade 9:
"Any control they impose will be broken. Most apps require users to be over 13, if I’m not mistaken, but you already see seven- and eight-year-olds using them."

To prevent this, the Minister of e-Governance, Valentin Mundrov, announced that by the end of 2026 a European Digital Identity Wallet will be introduced. Through it, children’s real age will be verified.

Valentin Mundrov, Minister of e-Governance:
"For any child to be granted access to register, the system must receive confirmation via this digital wallet that their age is over 14 or 18 — verified through the relevant state registers."

One of the major social media platforms said today that it has invested more than 16 billion dollars in ensuring the safety of the children who use it.