Young Britons live with parents as EU pushes social media ban for minors

In 2026, the most common living arrangement for a young man in Britain is with his parents – a shift that highlights an affordability crisis where the median home price is 7.6 times annual earnings, a ratio last seen in the 19th century. As UK youth struggle to become ‘peasants in someone else’s keep’, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is pushing for an EU-wide social media ban for young people. Monday brings a key step: the release of an expert report on the dangers of social media for minors, written by child psychiatrist Jörg Fegert and social epidemiologist Maria Melchior. Von der Leyen, a physician and parent of seven, has already expressed worry that social media harms young people and said restrictions are necessary. She could unveil plans for age restrictions as soon as September, four officials said, after POLITICO reported in March that the Commission’s tech department had drafted a version of the law. An EU official said the report is meant to convince skeptical national governments and provide ‘an evidence base’ for any proposed ban. The push caught officials by surprise when von der Leyen announced the expert panel at last year’s State of the European Union address. Opponents question the process: Estonian Justice and Digital Affairs Minister Liisa-Ly Pakosta told POLITICO that ‘if you have already said that we are going for a ban and we are looking for a way how to do it, then this is a little bit biased.’ Australia became the first country to impose age restrictions in December; Indonesia started enforcing a ban soon after. As European countries move at full speed with their own measures, the question for Britain remains whether its own young people – living at home in record numbers – will see any parallel action to shield them online.