Even as the advent of affordable cell phones has given parents new ways to stay in touch with their children, it has also sparked countless debates about screen time, safety, and social media.
As concerns about phone use grow and the age at which children receive their first mobile phone continues to decline, countries around the world are considering how to tackle the issue in schools and homes.
While a silver bullet is nowhere to be found, action plans are being considered and workarounds suggested, from strict laws to grassroots action.
Our correspondent explores some of the most notable screen time solutions as Australia and Spain prepare to pilot tough laws to tackle the issue.
Australia: “Ensuring our children have a good childhood.”'
Australia made global headlines in November when parliament passed a law banning social media use by under-16s. However, how it works and which services it applies to remain largely unknown.
Mobile phones are banned in schools in some Australian states, but a new federal ban will completely restrict social media use for children under 16 by the end of this year. Become. The bill would give the communications minister the power to decide which platforms to restrict, but it is widely expected to apply to at least Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
YouTube is expected to be exempt due to the educational benefits it claims to provide.
The law puts the onus on platforms to verify age, and platforms must take “reasonable steps” to verify age or face a fine of A$50m (£25m). It stipulates that the person shall be punished. Trials of the technology are ongoing, but the final version could include the use of facial age estimation, checking account behavior to determine age, and potentially using existing authentication services. It is considered.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the ban was about ensuring “a childhood for our children”. The aim is to encourage children to “take off their mobile phones and go to the football field, cricket pitch, tennis or netball court, swimming pool, try any sport that interests them and play outside with their friends. ” he added.
Josh Taylor, Melbourne
Spain: “You can use ours.”'
Spain's socialist-led coalition government is preparing A bill to raise the age for opening a social media account from 14 to 16 It also requires tech companies to implement age verification systems.
It also suggests installing parental controls by default on smartphones and rolling out a national education campaign to help children and teenagers use social media.
An expert panel recently called on the government to consider putting warning labels on digital devices sold in Spain to inform consumers of the health risks associated with social media and digital devices.
In the fall of 2023, parents in Barcelona's Poblenou district started a WhatsApp group and agreed to delay the age at which their children should get a mobile phone. their initiative, movie movie adolcensia (Adolescence Without Cell Phones) quickly spread to Catalonia and other parts of Spain, as families rallied around the idea of not giving their children cell phones until they were 16 years old.
“More than 72% of Spanish children own a smartphone by the age of 12, so being able to delay giving them a mobile phone each year is a huge achievement,” said Nuria, spokesperson for the project.・González Rojas said:
This is what the Basque parents' organization called it. Archa Brua (Look Up) is piloting a scheme to delay the age at which children get a mobile phone, with the help of families, schools and local businesses. The project, which started two years ago in the town of Tolosa, aims to dispel the common argument that children need a phone in case of an emergency, and to keep parents informed of what their children are doing. for that, Tolosa stores have window stickers Encourage children to use cell phones when necessary. The sticker said, “You may use ours,” in both Basque and Spanish.
Sam Jones, Madrid
France: “Take back control of your screen”
French President Emmanuel Macron commissioned a report on the issue, saying the country needed to “take back control of the screens” that keep children locked up rather than released. He said “the future of our society and democracy” depended on a wise approach.
The report, released in April last year, said children should not be allowed to use smartphones until they are 13 years old and should not have access to traditional social media such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat until they are 18. It says it should be banned. It states that children should not own a mobile phone until they are 11 years old, and should only have a mobile phone that does not have internet access until 1pm.
Experts say we need to protect children from the tech industry's profit-driven tactics, adding that screens have a negative impact on children's vision, sleep, metabolism, physical health and concentration.
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Macron said ministers should “scrutinize the recommendations and take action”.
Angelique Chrysafis (Paris)
Italy: school ban
Starting in September, the use of smartphones and tablets has been completely banned in elementary and junior high school classrooms in Italy, even for educational purposes.
Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said the decision was taken not only for pedagogical reasons, but also because of the tensions the devices had caused between students and teachers, including one case in which a teacher was hit with a phone in response to a reprimand. He said that he was injured.
Valditara is also supporting a petition to ban children under 14 from owning a mobile phone and to ban anyone under 16 from having a social media profile.
Angela Giuffrida (Rome)
Germany: “The longer we can delay children from using smartphones, the better.”'
German schools cannot ban students from bringing in cell phones, but they can prohibit their use in the classroom or during recess.
Teachers routinely exercise the right to confiscate questionable phones on a case-by-case basis, but experts say the legal basis for this is shaky. Some educators are encouraging efforts to increase digital literacy among young people, including encouraging them to adopt devices as part of their education and set limits on screen time for health reasons.
But political officials such as Schleswig-Holstein's Education Minister Karin Prien are calling for mobile phones to be completely banished from primary schools, citing their negative impact on learning and physical health.
Thomas Fischbach, president of the German Pediatric Association, said children under the age of 11 should not be given smartphones, as they are harmful to their development.
He said young brains are especially too vulnerable to be exposed to social media “influencers,” and doctors report that clinics are showing young Internet users starting to develop psychological problems such as chronic anxiety. There are many users.
“The longer we can delay kids from using smartphones, the better it will be for them,” Fischbach said.
But Germany's federal system means that while smartphones are a source of concern and debate for most parents, there is no resounding voice calling for a national policy.
Deborah Cole, Berlin
