A panel of 50 experts has recommended that Spain label mobile devices with health warnings about the alleged damage to mental health caused by the excessive use of technologies. The action is part of a strategy to combat drug addiction smartphones and to the applications; a condition that mainly affects young users.
The committee was formed by the Government of Spain earlier this year. Its objective is to analyze the impacts that digital platforms and devices have on minors. He was also tasked with designing a plan to combat potential risks. The experts’ findings have been described in a report that includes sociological and neuroscientific diagnoses, in addition to more than one hundred concrete measures to safeguard the integrity of children and adolescents on the Internet.
The document includes a section that talks about the “progressive access” of children and young people to technological devices depending on their age. Establishes a total ban on these equipment for children under 3 years of age. It advises a limited approach for children up to 6 years old and the priority use of phones without an internet connection for people up to 12 years old. Suggests an increase in the minimum age to open accounts on social networks. The limit would go from 14 to 16 years.
The study considers the use of digital resources in the educational field. It points out that it is necessary to carry out “a contrasted review of the tools and applications used to determine their contribution to improving learning according to scientific criteria.” It proposes “the elimination of online educational games related to immediate gratification systems.” Tutors must have training materials at their disposal on safe browsing, parental controls and appropriate exposure time. Schools must make the proposal effective through the design of mechanisms “adapted to all types of families, their socioeconomic levels and their availability,” according to the text. The resolution considers the delivery of subsidies to parent organizations and other related entities to comply with the measure.
The council has concluded that disorders and addictions related to the excessive use of electronic equipment and computer programs should be declared a public health problem. This will allow the establishment of “primary, secondary and tertiary prevention actions, given that some effects of technology on health may be reversible, such as the impact on sleep and concentration.”
New obligations for manufacturers of smartphones
Companies in the sector tech will be required to include health labels that warn about the main risks involved in the use of digital devices and software entertainment. In addition, they will have to address the dangers posed by “inappropriate content” for child and adolescent users. The notices will be placed on the equipment packaging. “They must also appear on the screens when accessing a certain app or platform, indicating the health risks and the maximum recommended time of use.”
To device manufacturers and service developers on-line They will be required to include, with each new launch, a report on the possible impacts their product may have on younger users. Commercial offers will be configured by default to avoid practices such as profiling, personalized advertising and tracking web without consent.
The study was requested by the Ministry of Youth and Children in January. Their deductions will serve to support the draft organic law that seeks to ensure the protection of children in digital environments. The draft of the legislative initiative was approved in June. It is now in the public consultation phase.
The debate on the use of digital resources among minors and its implications on mental health does not find consensus. In May, Vivek Murthy, director of health in the United States, warned that excessive and prolonged stay in social interaction services in childhood can lead to various mental health problems, including sleep disturbances and difficulties relating to the environment.
In contrast, a report from the American Psychological Association (APA) found that the use of platforms social media “It is neither inherently beneficial nor harmful to young people.” He indicated that more research should be carried out on the topic.
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