The Broadcast Media Communications Committee said on Thursday it held a "Co-creating Social Networking Service (SNS) Policy Meeting for Children and Adolescents" at the Seoul Citizen Media Center and listened to on-site views on improving the user environment.

The meeting was arranged to hear directly from youths, who are the policy stakeholders, on issues related to SNS use and overdependence. It was chaired by Kim Jong-cheol (김종철). It was attended by 12 middle and high school students active in the Youth Special Committee, the Republic of Korea Youth Press Corps, the Republic of Korea Youth Assembly and the Citizen Media Center.

The students shared practical concerns including difficulty controlling time spent on SNS, resulting emotional fatigue and exposure to harmful content. They said balanced policies are needed that reflect purposes and patterns of use, as SNS also has positive functions such as communicating with peers, acquiring information and self-expression.

Kim said, "SNS issues for children and adolescents cannot be solved by one-sided regulation alone, and it is important to listen to the voices of actual users." He added, "I hope this meeting will become an opportunity to create a safe and healthy media environment."

According to the "Teen Media Usage Survey" published in 2025 by the Korea Press Foundation, the SNS usage rate among South Korean youths stands at 70.1 percent. About half of them, 48.8 percent, are classified as constant users who access SNS daily.

Major countries overseas are moving to speed up related legislation. In Australia last December, the Social Media Minimum Age Act went into force to fundamentally block mental and physical risks to children and adolescents under 16.

The committee plans to reflect views presented at the meeting in future policy reviews and efforts to improve institutions.