48% of Young Internet Users Shop via Social Media, Bitkom Finds
Munich – November 12, 2026 -- Some 48 percent of internet users aged 16 to 29 already buy products through social networks, according to a Bitkom study cited as the Bavarian Regulatory Authority for New Media (BLM) opened its Forum Medienpädagogik conference in Munich today.
Influencers present products in Reels and Stories that are often barely distinguishable from personal recommendations. The conference examines how these purchase incentives affect children and teenagers, and which skills they need to handle them independently.
BLM President Schmiege calls for binding rules on youth consumer manipulation
BLM President Thorsten Schmiege wants media education and consumer education to be combined more closely, so young people can recognize commercial interests. He also called for clear rules against companies that use mechanisms to manipulate young people's buying behavior, beyond media literacy efforts alone.