French President Emmanuel Macron has urged high school students to turn off their phones and read, Reuters reports.
He called for one "screen-free day" a month for everyone and a complete ban on social media for those under 15.
Following Australia's groundbreaking social media ban for children last year, more and more European countries are considering their own restrictions as concerns grow about the impact of social media on the health and safety of minors.
"We left you in this jungle and it stole your attention," Macron told high school students over the lack of social media rules. "We need to slow down and help you become adults and, above all, citizens".
"That's why what we want to do is say goodbye to social media before the age of 15. And we would like to have an offline day one day a month... to show that it's possible," he insisted, adding that this day could be used for reading aloud, theatre performances or other activities.
In France, a bill is being considered by parliament to establish a ban for those under 15. But while the lower house is voting for a complete ban, senators want to block access only to platforms deemed harmful to children. This means Macron's goal of having the new legislation in place by the start of the new school year in September may not be met.
So far, a number of European countries, including non-EU countries Britain and Norway, have passed or are considering legislation setting minimum age limits - usually between 13 and 16 - for using social networks. The EU is preparing an age-verification app.
Later in the day, Macron will host a video conference with other EU leaders to push for a coordinated approach. The conference is focused on creating a "digital majority" in Europe, restricting access to children under a certain age and requiring age verification.
In Villers-Côtére, in northern France, where Macron outlined some of his plans, high school students had mixed feelings about the ban.
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"I don't agree, the younger ones will feel left out," said Sharon Tsimi Meyong, 15. Fabien Andronique, also 15, disagreed, noting that controlling screen use should be left to parents. "I like social media, we learn a lot there," he said.
Manel Zerouali, also 15 years old, however, agreed with the ban on those under 15 so that they can be protected. "There is cyberbullying on social media," she stressed.
One thing everyone agreed on was that most young people would find a way around the ban.
Australia has seen a huge spike in downloads of virtual private networks (VPNs) since it introduced its social media ban as users seek to circumvent the measure to access restricted platforms.
Meanwhile, in the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told social media companies to take responsibility for the safety of children on their platforms and respond to parents' demands for robust protections.
The UK is holding consultations until next month on whether to restrict children's access to social media, including a possible ban on under-16s, as well as introducing curfews, app time limits and restrictions on addictive design features.