Bulgaria Debates Ban on Social Media for Minors Under 15 Amid Mental Health Concerns
GERB, Bulgaria’s ruling party, is considering a move to prohibit children under the age of 15 from using social networks.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:That proposal has reignited national debate about children’s mental health and online safety. Kostadin Angelov, chair of the Parliamentary Health Committee and a GERB MP, has been one of the most vocal proponents, arguing that intensive social media use can produce dopamine-driven habits he compares to gambling addiction.
Angelov told lawmakers and journalists that sustained exposure to social feeds creates reward cycles and behavior patterns similar to those seen in substance or gambling dependence, with potential consequences including anxiety, sleep disruption, reduced attention span and diminished social empathy among young people. He cited testimony from former industry engineers – widely publicized in documentaries and specialist reporting – that platform features are designed to maximize engagement and, by extension, attention.
Supporters of the idea point to research linking extended social media use with higher rates of depressive symptoms in adolescents. Angelov framed the intervention as protective rather than punitive, saying the aim is to give children more time for play, reading and face‑to‑face interaction rather than to impose a blanket technological ban.
Related: Greece to Pioneer Social Media and Gambling Blocks for Minors
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Gambling Exposure, Awareness Campaigns and Regulation
The proposal has landed against a backdrop of long‑running concern in Bulgaria about underage gambling. National authorities and child welfare groups have repeatedly warned that young people are being exposed to gambling advertising and content across platforms such as Facebook and YouTube, and psychologists in the country have argued that such exposure helps normalize betting behavior among minors. This concern extends to the country's regulated online gambling sector, where licensed online casinos in Bulgaria operate under national oversight and age restrictions.
Separately, a nationwide outreach effort called the "You Are Not Alone" campaign – driven by the National Revenue Agency and the Customs Agency and launched in 2024 – has spent the 2024/2025 school year raising awareness of gambling harms and reaching thousands of pupils in classrooms and through school events. Authorities say the campaign is part of a broader effort to prevent early‑onset gambling problems and to promote treatment pathways for young people already affected.
Any move to restrict social media access for under‑15s would intersect with existing age limits imposed by platforms (many social networks set a minimum age of 13 in their terms of service) and with European online‑safety rules. The EU’s Digital Services Act places duties on large platforms to assess and mitigate systemic risks to minors and to provide more robust safeguards, but enforcement and reliable age verification remain difficult in practice.
Critics of an outright ban warn about feasibility and unintended consequences. Digital rights advocates caution that strict prohibitions may be technically complex to enforce and could push young people to less regulated or encrypted channels, complicating safeguarding efforts. Some educators and parents emphasize digital literacy and supervised access as alternative strategies, arguing for balanced policies that combine education, parental controls and targeted regulation of advertising and gambling content.
For now, GERB officials have described the proposal as exploratory. No specific bill has been tabled in parliament, and consultations with specialists in child psychology, education and digital policy appear likely if the party decides to advance a formal legislative measure. Lawmakers, regulators and civil society groups will be watching how the debate develops, as Bulgaria seeks to reconcile child‑protection goals with technological realities and international regulatory frameworks.
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