One in four minors in Europe has a relationship with their smartphone that resembles an addiction.

Omissions

• The Eurobarometer survey was published on 16 June 2026, just one day before the session, making it extremely recent — the MEP could have known about it but the specific 'one in four' figure could not be independently extracted from the accessible source content during this verification.
• The claim does not specify whether 'one in four' refers to self-reported behaviour, a clinical screening tool, or parental assessment. The Eurobarometer survey methodology (self-reported by teens) should be noted, as different measurement approaches yield different prevalence estimates.
• The FRA survey measures adult Europeans' concerns about children's social media addiction (88%), not minors' actual behaviour — this is a related but distinct metric.
• The claim uses 'addiction' loosely; the Eurobarometer survey likely measures 'problematic use' patterns rather than clinical addiction, which requires formal diagnosis.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Commission — Press ReleaseA new EU-wide survey confirms the significant impact of excessive screen time and social media on young people's mental and physical health. Published 16 June 2026. The Eurobarometer survey provides data on the relationship between screen use and wellbeing among European minors.
• PrimaryEU for Children — Eurobarometer Survey PageThis report from the 2026 Barometer survey gives insights on the impacts of screen time and social media for teenagers, from 26,000 kids surveyed across the EU.
• PrimaryEU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA)88% of Europeans are concerned about social media addiction among children. The survey covered over 26,000 people across the EU. Top concerns include: risk of exploitation (89%), exposure to violent content (89%), and social media addiction (88%).