Concerns over "too much screen time" for youngsters are nothing new. In pre-internet days, young people sometimes saw their TV viewing curtailed as a punishment. But it's now been three decades since mobile phones went mainstream, and nearly two since the advent of the tablet and the smartphone. Many teachers and psychiatrists link long hours of scrolling and exposure to violent and pornographic images, as well as cyberbullying, anxiety and sleep deprivation among a generation whose attention span has shrunk.
We ask about a panel that has just submitted recommendations to France's president, starting with a ban on smartphones for under-13s. What's the right measure in our connected world? What responsibility for parents, teachers and the tech giants whose entire business model rests on keeping us on our screens as long as possible? Can curbs really be enforced?
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati and Juliette Brown.
