Europe takes steps to ‘rescue’ its minors from screen addiction!
For most of us, the days before social media and smartphones are a distant memory. Today, it’s hard to imagine what life would be like without these constant interruptions and compulsions. Many large-scale surveys have concluded that the average person spends between three and six hours a day looking at their phones. Europe is now faced with a growing concern among minors and school-aged children: screen addiction!
Since 2024 all digital platforms in Europe must comply with the Digital Services Act, a set of EU-wide rules, aiming at creating a safer online environment to protect minors and adults. In France, smartphones have been banned in schools since 2018, but the rule is largely ignored. However, some schools are taking stricter measures. The Marcel Pagnol public school, southwest of Lyon, is one of 200 French middle schools that have been testing the so-called “digital break” since the beginning of the school year.
The school’s headmaster explains that confiscating smartphones has proven to be the most effective way to enforce the ban. The idea was to curb this addiction as early as possible during school hours. The headmaster said they we’re still dealing with incidents in the fifth, fourth, and third grade. They were trying to sort out whether a photo was taken or not, often in very complicated circumstances involving students who are completely addicted to these devices.
A Spanish language teacher said digital breaks also reduce incidents of cyberbullying, a growing problem that affects one in six students in Europe, according to a recent WHO study. “This year, we made the annual prom dance phone-free, and it was like magic,” explains Spanish Teacher Sophie Atallah. Parents all over Europe are also taking action against screen addiction. In Lyon, mother of two Marie-Alix wrote a book on the topic and the Facebook group she set up five years ago now has over 20,000 members.
Screen addiction among young people is seen as an excessive and compulsive use of smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs and gaming consoles. Teenagers globally are spending an average of 7 hours and 22 minutes per day in front of screens. Excessive screen exposure for children younger than 3 years old may negatively impact their brain development. And recent research shows screen addiction for those aged 9 to 11 could increase the risk of developing suicidal behavior.
In a related ASI article, Children’s Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza has warned that children are increasingly turning to online chatbots instead of their parents for answers to life’s biggest questions. She said that the “apathy” of many parents is causing a “crisis in childhood” that is leading to many children feeling “disconnected.”
Reference: Screen addiction in Europe: How do we protect minors?
