Children Under 13 Prohibited from Smartphone Access... Shocking Report from France

Restrictions on Video Viewing for Children Under 3
Macron: "There May Be Limits on Children's Videos and Smartphones"
Experts: "Children Must Be Protected from Tech Industry Strategies"

In France, a plan to ban video viewing for children under 3 years old and smartphone use for children under 13 is being considered.

British media outlets The Telegraph and The Guardian reported on the 30th (local time) that experts commissioned by the French ?lys?e Palace to study guidelines restricting children's smartphone use recently submitted a related report. President Emmanuel Macron mentioned in January that "there may be bans or restrictions on children's video viewing and smartphone use."

The expert group consists of 10 members, including neurologists and addiction specialist psychiatrists. In their report, they emphasized, "Children are becoming commodities," and "Children must be protected from the technology industry's strategies that use all forms of cognitive bias to keep children glued to screens and controlled while generating profits."

The report stressed that children under 3 years old should be completely prohibited from watching videos, including TV, and children aged 3 to 6 should be limited to watching educational content accompanied by an adult.

Additionally, it recommended that mobile phone use be allowed from age 11, internet access via mobile phones from age 13, and social media (SNS) use be permitted from age 15 only on ethical SNS platforms. Experts argue that platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are not considered ethical SNS and therefore should only be accessible from age 18.

Furthermore, except in cases of specific disabilities, the report added that tablets should not be provided to children in elementary schools. It also recommended minimizing the use of mobile phones or televisions in maternity wards to foster bonding between babies and parents, and banning computers and televisions in daycare centers.

One of the experts, psychiatrist Amin Benyamina, pointed out, "Screens negatively affect children's eyesight, metabolism, intelligence, concentration, and cognitive processes," and added, "Addiction to screens is addiction to content, and the algorithms designed to keep interest in content have a kind of addictive dynamic."

Looking at other countries' cases, New Zealand officially banned students' mobile phone use in schools starting from the second semester of 2024, which began on the 29th of last month. With this policy in place, students must submit their phones after arriving at school or keep them in lockers or bags. They are not allowed to use them during breaks or lunchtime either.