Doctors Urge Minimum Age Limits for Social Media and Smartphones

By Netvora Tech News

A group of over 1,400 doctors, scientists, and experts from various disciplines is calling on the government to establish minimum age limits for social media and smartphones. In a recently published open letter, they urge "immediate action against the growing health and wellbeing crisis caused by excessive and age-inappropriate screen and social media use among children and young people." The doctors express concern over the increasing trend of giving smartphones to younger and younger children, the time children spend on their devices, and the fact that popular apps are not safe and suitable environments for children. These issues, they claim, have long-term consequences for children's health and development. The doctors argue that it's time to reassess the societal approach to social media and smartphone use. They propose a minimum age of 14 for smartphone use and 16 for access to social media. Tomorrow, officials from the Ministry of the Interior will brief the Digital Affairs Committee of the Second Chamber on online age verification. This year, the Second Chamber adopted two motions on online age verification, including one to legally enshrine "privacy-friendly and trustworthy age verification" for visiting gambling and pornographic websites, as well as a motion to safeguard privacy in legally required age verification. The doctors highlight the need for a stricter approach to online age verification, citing concerns over the lack of privacy and the potential for exploitation of children online. They urge policymakers to take immediate action to protect children's health and wellbeing in the digital age.

The Concerns

The doctors point to several worrying trends, including:

Children as young as five being given smartphones and access to social media
The average child spending over four hours a day on screens
The lack of safe and suitable environments for children on popular social media platforms
The potential for exploitation and harm to children online

The Consequences

The doctors warn that these trends have serious consequences for children's health and wellbeing, including:

Increased risk of addiction and mental health problems
Reduced attention span and cognitive development
Increased exposure to harmful content and online exploitation
Long-term negative impacts on children's social and emotional development

The doctors' call to action highlights the urgent need for policymakers to prioritize children's health and wellbeing in the digital age. As the debate around online age verification continues, one thing is clear: the consequences of inaction will be severe.