New book exposes how social media exploits and reshapes young minds

Education researcher Nina Kolleck will present her new book, which examines the political and economic forces driving platforms like TikTok and Instagram. She argues that these services do far more than connect people—they exploit emotional needs, spread disinformation, and push extremist content. Algorithms, she warns, actively shape young people's thinking, relationships, and even political views. The risks for children go beyond misinformation. Social media exposes them to harmful material, from suicide promotion to dangerous online challenges. Kolleck stresses that these platforms now play a major role in education and upbringing, with potential long-term effects on brain development and social skills. Her proposed solutions include stricter regulations. These would involve tighter data protection under GDPR, mandatory media literacy classes in schools, and clearer rules forcing platforms to explain how their algorithms work. She also calls for age-based content restrictions to limit exposure to harmful material. At the heart of her argument is a simple claim: protecting young people online is not just a task for parents but a duty for society as a whole. The Leipzig Book Fair event will put Kolleck's findings in front of a wider audience. Her recommendations target lawmakers, educators, and tech companies alike. The discussion aims to push for concrete steps to reduce social media's negative impact on Germany's youth.