A World Health Organization (WHO) expert has proposed introducing restrictions on the use of smartphones by children and adolescents, comparing these measures to the fight against smoking. Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, Director of the Division of Health Policy and Systems at the WHO European Office, in an interview with Politico emphasized the need to regulate access to digital devices to protect the mental health of the younger generation, RBK writes.

Azzopardi-Muscat suggested considering the possibility of limiting the use of digital devices in certain places, drawing a parallel with the ban on smoking in public spaces. She also mentioned the potential introduction of age restrictions and price controls, similar to the measures applied to tobacco products.

The expert emphasized the importance of teaching children and adolescents how to properly interact with the digital world so that they can control their stay in it, and not vice versa.

A recent WHO study of 280 000 children aged 11-15 in Europe, Central Asia and Canada found a growing trend towards problematic use of social media and online gaming among adolescents. More than 10% of respondents reported difficulties in controlling their social media use, with girls (13%) more likely to experience this problem than boys (9%). In addition, 12% of adolescents are at risk of gaming addiction, with boys twice as likely to experience this problem.