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Several teenagers are standing in a line, all using their smartphones at the same time.

Social media: being cool means staying online

A study by Christopher Roth and an international research team shows that just six months after Australia introduced its social media ban for children under 16, compliance among 14- and 15-year-olds has dropped to just six percent. The findings highlight that legal measures alone are not enough—social norms, role models, and the influence of peer networks play a decisive role.

Opening of the Adenauer School of Government

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has officially inaugurated the new Adenauer School of Government at the University of Cologne. Our Director, Axel Ockenfels, will serve as the School’s Founding Director. The new academic institution combines research, teaching, and public engagement in the field of public governance, with the aim of strengthening democratic governance.

Otto Hahn Medal for Sebastian Riedmiller

Sebastian Riedmiller has been awarded the Otto Hahn Medal of the Max Planck Society for his dissertation on survey-guided policy design. His research shows how targeted information strategies can improve the effectiveness of public policies, particularly in the area of student financial aid.

The Cool Ones Stay Online

In a guest article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Matthias Sutter, Christopher Roth and Filip Milojevic analyze initial empirical findings on Australia’s social media ban for adolescents under the age of 16. The data show that the law is having an effect — but as long as many peers remain online, it faces both social and practical limits.