JOHN YANG: The debate over social# media use by teens is raging on.

In the United States, tech giants Meta and Google# were just handed back-to-back losses in lawsuits## against them in New Mexico and California.# Overseas, Germany is looking to ban social## media or at least make it harder to access for# young people, something Australia did last year.

From Berlin, special correspondent# Malcolm Brabant reports.

MALCOLM BRABANT: These bright young students# in a top Berlin high school reach for their## smartphones as soon as there's a break# in lessons.

They head straight to social## media sites that might soon be outlawed# if Germany's governing party has its way.

This 21st century version of prohibition is a## timely subject for the English# class of teacher Dhara Chaikh.

DHARA CHAIKH, Teacher: What did you# learn?

What are strong arguments in## favor and strong arguments in opposition of# a social media ban?

What do you feel like?

MATHILDE, Student: I often see girls# that look perfect.

And, sometimes,## I think, yes, I would love to look# like them, or they look like they## have features I don't have and stuff like# that.

So, yes, I kind of compare myself.

AMELIE, Student: Some people can then feel, like,## depressed because they don't have, like,# such a perfect life or selfies like that.

MIA, Student: Even I know how bad and# how they affect my mental health and how## much time they take away from things# that are more important in my life.

MALCOLM BRABANT: Experts say# these experiences are just## the tip of a more sinister psychological iceberg.

RALPH HERTWIG, Max Planck Institute for Human# Development: People younger than 13 years old,## they should not be on social media.

Their# brain, their ability, their resilience,## their ability to deal with the content and# the functionality is just not in place yet,## and therefore they shouldn't be on social media.

MALCOLM BRABANT: Professor Ralph Hertwig# is a psychologist who specializes in## human judgment and decision-making.# He's a leading advocate for a ban.

RALPH HERTWIG: Think about this endless# scrolling, for instance, but also the content,## if you think about pornography, if you think# about violence, cruelty, hate, et cetera.

Then## this comes at a point where there are critical# developmental windows for the developing brain.

And we have to think about and there is increasing# evidence that there is a negative association## between social media use on the one hand and# the psychological healthiness of young people.

MALCOLM BRABANT: Those sentiments align with# the stance of Germany's governing party,## the Christian Democrats.

Chancellor# Friedrich Merz led the calls for a## social media ban for the under-14s, who, on# average, spend 5.5 hours online each day.

FRIEDRICH MERZ, German Chancellor (through# translator): Do we want to allow our society## to be disintegrated internally, and in this# way our youth, our children are endangered.. We have to deal with this question because it is# the enemies of our freedom, the enemies of our## democracy, the enemies of an open and free# liberal society who are undertaking this.

(APPLAUSE) MALCOLM BRABANT: But education professor Nina# Kolleck doubts that a ban will solve the problem.

NINA KOLLECK, Potsdam University: If we ban it,# we even make it more attractive and probably## they will -- when they are 16, they will even# show more addictive behavior when they use it.## If we want to solve the problem, we have# to ban the algorithms which are so harmful,## and we have to introduce digital literacy.

MALCOLM BRABANT: So just how effective are# social media bans?

Australia was the first## country to enforce an age limit, and# its latest data suggests that social## media companies have been forced to close down# 4.7 million accounts belonging to teenagers.

Nevertheless, it is estimated that# 20 percent of Australian adolescents## still manage to access forbidden# sites like TikTok and Snapchat.

Big tech companies oppose governmental# bans on social media for teenagers.

They## argue that such restrictions are# difficult to implement and risk## pushing adolescents towards less# regulated, more dangerous content.

BENNO FLUGEL, Anti-Social# Media Activist: Smartphones,## they distract us.

Smartphones# have apps that are very addictive,## and so smartphones poison our individual life.# And, furthermore, smartphones poison our society.

MALCOLM BRABANT: Anti-social media activist# Benno Flugel claims that his campaign## against the big tech behemoths# is gaining traction in Germany.

BENNO FLUGEL: I'm aware that I'm in a small# minority, but I think smartphones will have a## similar career like smoking.

As years went# by, there was more evidence that smoking## is actually very harmful.

I think we see the# same development with social media right now.

You see the rise in depression, you see# the rise in anxiety.

Reading skills of## schoolchildren are deteriorating.

And I think# the more evidence we get over the years,## the more people will see that# our position is actually right.

ANNA, Student: OK, so my pros are social# media is harming children and teenagers.## Teens using social media three hours per daily# have higher risk of anxiety and depressions.

STUDENT: Double risk of anxiety.

MALCOLM BRABANT: Dhara Chaikh has# only been teaching for two years,## but in that time she's# noticed some alarming trends.

DHARA CHAIKH: I can see that the children# compare themselves to each other.

And I do## feel like depression is on the up.

There's# a lot of children that deal with that,## but also comparing themselves to# unrealistic body types.

There's a## lot of body dysmorphia going around.

I have# a lot of students who are bulimic, actually.

MALCOLM BRABANT: And where do the students# stand?

Leading the opposition is Elias,## who admits to watching TikTok# for two to three hours a day.

ELIAS, Student (through translator):## I'm against getting such a media ban because it's# something to do in your free time and because you## also get information that you don't get at school.# And, no, I don't think it's harmful to me because## I'm still getting good grades.

And that's why# I wouldn't be able to say anything about it.

CHARLIE, Student: If something is,# like, banned or you can't use it,## like, it's forbidden, then it's# more interesting.

I don't know## how to say it, but it's like something# is banned and then I want it even more.

MIA: I think that it would be good to# ban it, to ban social media as well,## but I feel like it is definitely up to the# parents and not the government to enforce the ban.

MALCOLM BRABANT: Germany's coalition government# has yet to draft the relevant legislation.## In the meantime, education experts# say it's imperative that schools## teach students how to become more# resilient to social media pressure.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm# Malcolm Brabant in Berlin.