25,000 Greek pupils suspended for mobile phone use as ADHD cases and digital addiction surge

More than 25,000 pupils in Greece were suspended this school year for using mobile phones at school, as teachers, doctors and government officials warn of a sharp rise in ADHD, social isolation and symptoms of digital addiction among children and teenagers.

The figures come as the Greek government prepares to move ahead with restrictions on minors’ access to social media, with full implementation planned for January 1, 2027. The measures are part of a wider European drive to improve children’s safety online and are linked to the European Union’s Digital Services Act, which sets rules for the operation of digital platforms.

According to official data, more than 25,000 school suspensions were imposed from the start of the current school year until shortly before its end because pupils used mobile phones at school. The figure is far higher than the 14,806 suspensions recorded during the 2024–25 school year, when Greece’s stricter mobile phone policy in schools was first applied.

On average, 120 pupils a day faced penalties for mobile phone use during the school year that has just ended, compared with 76 a day in the previous school year. In both years, mobile phone use accounted for one in three penalties imposed on pupils, with most cases recorded in Attica, the wider Athens region. Teachers say the figures are especially alarming because they reflect only the pupils who were caught and formally punished, not the full scale of mobile phone use in schools.

Schools, they add, obviously do not operate like military institutions. In most cases, a suspension follows a sequence of warnings, failure to comply, and repeated or serious breaches of school rules. Teachers also stress that mobile phone-related suspensions often involve more than a pupil simply holding a device during class.

Many cases involve pupils filming classmates or teachers without consent, posting material on social media that creates tension at school, or engaging in in-person and online bullying. Penalties can range from one to three days for mobile phone use, up to five days for breaches involving personal data or inappropriate online behaviour. In serious cases, a pupil may be moved to another school.

The issue now goes far beyond school discipline. Education officials and teachers describe it as a reflection of deeper changes in pupils’ daily lives, the classroom environment and the influence of social media on behaviour, learning and social interaction.

Teachers report a growing number of pupils who struggle to focus in class, with constant checking of notifications and rapid switching between digital stimuli disrupting the learning process. The rise in cases of ADHD, attention problems and social isolation is becoming a major concern in schools.

Growing up addicted

Teachers told THEMA that they have been given the difficult task of helping pupils who “grew up with these devices in their hands” to spend even a few hours a day without mobile phones or tablets.

Some parents, teachers say, place tablets in babies’ cots or hand devices to very young children in public places to keep them quiet. By the time these children reach school age, many are already used to having constant access to screens and the internet.

The scale of the problem is reflected in recent data cited by experts and government officials. Among adolescents aged 14 to 17 in Greece, symptoms of internet addiction are approaching 80%. The problem is also appearing more often among primary school children.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2019, Greece recorded mild internet addiction rates of around 30% to 40% among pupils, while severe addiction stood at about 10%. These rates have since doubled, particularly after the pandemic and lockdowns, when children were confined at home and much of their social life moved online.

Recent data and government announcements on the protection of minors suggest that six in 10 minors show behaviour associated with digital addiction. Among 15-year-olds, 23% say they feel intense anxiety or insecurity when they do not have access to their mobile phone.

Another 20% of adolescents in the same age group systematically neglect essential activities, including sport, schoolwork and hobbies, because of social media use. One in three pupils openly admits excessive use, while almost half say they fall behind on responsibilities in order to remain online.

The problem is also beginning at a younger age. Around 76.6% of children aged nine to 12, who are still in primary school, have independent and often unsupervised internet access.

Experts say excessive use of mobile phones, social media and online games can no longer be treated as a simple bad habit. They link it to sleep disruption, anxiety, attention problems, learning difficulties, social withdrawal and addictive patterns of behaviour.

Greece prepares social media restrictions for minors

The Greek government is preparing to introduce a strict framework restricting access to social media for children under 15. Full implementation is scheduled for January 1, 2027.

According to information available to Thema News, the bill has already been drafted and sent to the European Union for a compatibility review with EU law. The process is expected to move quickly, as the government wants the legislation passed before the Greek Parliament closes for the summer.

From September, information sessions are expected to begin for teachers and parents, explaining how the social media restrictions will work and how adults can help protect minors online. The briefings are expected to be handled by officials from Greece’s Ministry of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence, which has developed the Kid’s Wallet initiative. Dimitris Papastergiou, Greece’s digital governance minister, has overseen the project, under the supervision of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who has taken a direct interest in the issue.

Kid’s Wallet is designed to operate as a national age-verification tool. It could be used by social media platforms to confirm a user’s age before allowing an account to be created or maintained. Under the planned system, platforms would no longer be able to rely simply on users stating their own age. Existing users would be required to verify their age within a set deadline, possibly 90 days. Accounts that are not verified would then be locked.

For users under age 15, creating or maintaining a personal social media account would be prohibited. Access to personalised content, algorithmic feeds and private messaging on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat would also be banned. Parental consent would not be allowed as an exception.

Teen accounts for 15- to 18-year-olds

Once the under-15 ban is introduced, a second set of measures is expected to apply to minors aged 15 to 18. These measures will focus on protecting minors’ personal data, limiting their exposure to online predators, and reducing health risks linked to excessive social media use.

Kid’s Wallet would again be the central tool. After a minor’s age is verified, “teen account” settings would be activated. These would include a ban on personalised advertising, meaning platforms would not be allowed to collect data on a child’s online preferences and behaviour in order to target them with advertising.

In practice, Greek minors’ accounts would become invisible to advertising algorithms. Social media use could also be restricted during certain hours, such as midnight to 6 a.m., in an effort to prevent sleep disruption, one of the most common effects associated with excessive online use.

The government is also preparing to open technical discussions with social media companies operating in Greece. Platforms have until January 1, 2027, to take part in the dialogue. Greek officials will explain how the restrictions will operate and how the companies will be expected to identify underage users.

The list of platforms covered by the restrictions will be dynamic and regularly updated. According to the government’s approach, the measures will apply to social media platforms that allow users to create personal accounts, post content or interact through comments and messages, use algorithmic content promotion, and collect and process personal data.

The framework could apply to any digital platform with more than 100,000 active users in Greece, in order to prevent minors simply moving to alternative apps.

The focus is on platforms built around algorithmic feeds, endless scrolling and continuous interaction through likes, reels, stories and short videos. These design features have been linked in international studies to addictive use among minors.

Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and X all include design features that encourage prolonged use. The Greek government’s aim is to make verified age checks part of the registration and account-maintenance process.

Social media restrictions gain ground internationally

Governments around the world are moving towards stricter rules on minors’ access to social media, as concern grows over the effects of digital platforms on children’s mental health, attention, sleep and social development.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently announced new measures to protect children online, saying that a full ban was the right choice because social media was making children unhappy. The UK is considering barring children under 16 from social media platforms, while allowing access to messaging apps.

Australia has gone further than most countries. It became the first country in the world to ban minors from accessing social media, with the measure due to take effect on December 10, 2025. Platforms in Australia will be required to identify users under 16 and block their access. Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars, or about 34.9 million US dollars.

Yet Australia’s experience has also shown how difficult enforcement can be. Australian government data indicates that 60% of minors who already had social media accounts found ways to return to them, using VPNs, fake identities, parents’ details or other methods.

A study by Jasmine Fardouly, a researcher at the University of Sydney, found that self-reported age systems are unreliable. According to the study, 84% of Australians aged eight to 12 were using social media, even though access is prohibited for children under 13.5.

Similar restrictions have been tried on online and gaming platforms in countries including China, South Korea and France, but children have often bypassed them through VPNs and other technical methods.

Australia’s ban did appear to have some immediate social effects, with children returning to playgrounds and teenagers meeting in public spaces. However, researchers warn that the consequences remain uncertain. Children who lose access to social media may move towards other screen-based activities, including television or gaming, rather than increasing face-to-face interaction.

France has also introduced restrictions, with its National Assembly banning children under 15 from accessing social media. Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Slovenia and Turkey have moved in a similar direction. In Germany, minors aged 13 to 16 may use social media only with parental consent. In Italy, children under 14 need parental approval to create a social media account. Norway and Spain are also preparing bans for children under 16.

For Greece, the challenge will be to combine enforcement with education. The school suspension figures show how deeply mobile phones and social media have entered children’s daily routines. The government’s social media restrictions may limit access, but teachers, parents and health experts say the broader problem will require sustained work inside homes, classrooms and public policy.