According to British media outlets, the French government is considering a plan to ban the watching of videos by children under three and the use of smartphones by children under 13.
According to the report, experts commissioned by the Élysée Palace to study guidelines for limiting children’s smartphone usage recently submitted a report that strictly limits screen time and smartphone usage for children and teenagers.
These experts have emphasized in their report that screen time, including TV, should be forbidden for infants and toddlers under three years old. Children between the ages of three and six should only be allowed to watch educational content when accompanied by an adult.
They recommend that mobile phone use start at 11 years old, internet access via mobile phone be allowed from 13 years old, and social media usage be allowed from 15 years old, but only on ethical, social media platforms.
Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are excluded from ethical social media and should only be accessible once a person turns 18, the experts insisted.
They also recommend limiting mobile phones and televisions in maternity wards to promote bonding between parents and their newborns and banning computers and televisions in places like nurseries.
They also added that elementary schools should not offer tablets to children unless they have a specific disability.
The 10-member group of experts who proposed these suggestions includes neurologists and psychiatrists specializing in addiction.
It’s still uncertain what measures the French government will take in response to this report.
President Emmanuel Macron mentioned in January that “there could be bans or restrictions” on children’s screen time and smartphone usage.
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