Intellectual development and decision-making ability slow down, mental stress increases- समाचार

In 2025, Australia implemented strict rules that prohibit children under the age of 16 from opening accounts on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat. Various European countries, including Germany, France, Italy, and Belgium, are also trying to reduce children’s use of social media and screen time.

In American states such as California, known as the ‘Silicon Valley’ of information technology companies, strict rules have been implemented on social media and AI chatbots keeping in mind the mental health of children.

In order to reduce depression, loneliness, and over-reliance on AI in children, there are mandatory provisions such as ‘break reminders’, ‘disclosures’ every 3 hours saying ‘I am AI, not human’, age verification, and parental permission. Since AI can sometimes give wrong or unsafe advice, American state governments have tried to hold companies responsible.

Studies by several universities, health research institutions and scientists have confirmed that children who spend too much time in front of screens slow down their intellectual development and decision-making skills and increase stress levels in adolescence.

A recent study by leading scientists from the Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research and the National University of Singapore found that excessive screen time can slow down decision-making skills by the age of eight and increase symptoms of anxiety and stress by the age of 13.

“This research provides scientific evidence to support why limiting screen time in the first two years of life is so important,” Tan I Peng, an associate professor involved in the research, told Reuters. In this context, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged in his New Year’s address to protect children and adolescents from the negative effects of social media and screens. Speaking to France’s La Depêche newspaper, Digital Affairs Minister Anne Le Havre said that preparations are underway to introduce a bill to ban social media for children under 15 in early 2026.

The move follows a report by a French parliamentary commission that recommended a complete ban on social media for those under 15. France is also preparing to extend the existing ban on mobile phone use in schools to the upper grades.

“The more screen time, the more mental health problems,” Macron said. “Cyberbullying, access to pornography and the mental health problems that are being seen in children are not just a phenomenon, they are a direct result of how digital platforms are designed and how they are targeted.” He responded to reporters by presenting age limits on digital access as a public health imperative.

The more screen time, the more mental health problems – French President Emmanuel Macron Australia has become the first country in the world to implement such a strict law. Under the leadership of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a law has been passed to ban children under the age of 16 from social media. According to this Australian law, social media companies will have to pay fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars if they violate the rules.

Australia has instructed to implement an age verification system, holding the platforms, not children and parents, as the main responsibility. Many countries are closely watching Australia’s move and have responded that they will also implement this model if it is successful. In the year 2025, there was a lot of debate about the impact of excessive use of social media and excessive screen time on the mental health of children and adolescents. And, it is expected to continue in the coming days.

A separate debate is also ongoing between the government, platform operators and digital rights activists on the issue of age verification systems. In Australia, users are required to upload a ‘video selfie’ and have it analyzed by AI to determine age.

In Italy, a ‘digital identity wallet’ has been proposed. It is said that this will be linked to the upcoming age verification system of the European Union. In the US state of Utah, a law was introduced to verify age using a government ID. It has been widely criticized for causing privacy and access problems.

Recently, the Malaysian government has announced that it will ban children under the age of 16 from social media from 2026. Malaysia has a condition that government ID that reveals age must be presented when opening an account on social media.

In Spain, the government has increased the age limit for children to open a social media account from 14 to 16 in June 2024. There, a bill is being worked on that will prevent children under the age of 16 from accessing social media and artificial intelligence platforms without parental consent. The bill includes a provision to ban ‘loot boxes’ in online games, i.e. features that trick under-18s into spending money. According to a Reuters report titled ‘From Australia to Europe, Countries Move to Curb Children’s Social Media Access’, China’s ‘minor mode’ is the world’s strictest digital regulation. The country’s Cyberspace Regulator (CAC) implemented the system in 2024 to curb the growing ‘internet addiction’ and mental health problems among children. It sets a time limit on how long a child can use their smartphone daily based on their age. Mobile manufacturers and app stores have made minor mode mandatory, which blocks access after the time limit expires.

Children, privacy and mental health issues as school ‘content’ becomes a question of

According to which children under 8 years of age can use their smartphone for a maximum of 40 minutes a day, those aged 8 to 16 for a maximum of 1 hour a day, and teenagers aged 16 to 18 for a maximum of 2 hours a day. Children are not allowed to use the internet on their mobile or tablet from 10 pm to 6 am. During this time, their devices are not connected to the internet or go into offline mode.

Not only this, but in China, children under the age of 18 are also subject to very strict time limits on online gaming. On Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, they are only allowed to play online from 8 pm to 9 pm (1 hour). ‘Facial recognition’ is also used to check whether children are following the rules. Similarly, in Taiwan, there is a provision for fines of 10,000 to 50,000 for parents who allow children to use electronic devices until ‘unnatural hours’.

Norway’s Prime Minister Jons Gaard Stora is also considering raising the minimum age for social media use from 13 to 15. According to Business Insider’s “More Kids Than Ever Will Be Banned from Social Media This Year,” Stora said that while implementing such a ban would be challenging, it is important to protect children from online harm.

Children’s use of social media in a bid to stand out

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has announced plans to ban children under the age of 15 from social media, citing rising anxiety and depression among children. Italy’s Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara has also expressed the view that the Australian model should be followed. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has warned that the results of the many experiments being conducted on children’s brains through social media will not be positive.

Journalist Alex Morell wrote in Business Insider, “Governments around the world are concerned about the damage that platforms like TikTok and Snapchat are doing to young people’s mental health.” As a result, he analyzes that more children than ever will be banned from social media by 2026.

Just thinking about whether a message or ‘notification’ has arrived on social media is the reason why children’s ability to concentrate and forgetfulness decreases. Although its impact on the individual level seems small, he warns that such changes in children’s behavior at the population level could have serious consequences.

For this reason, efforts to control the use of mobile phones have also intensified in various countries. South Korea has passed a law to completely ban mobile phone use in schools nationwide, effective from March 2026. Greece has already banned smartphones in classrooms.

France is also preparing to ban mobile phones in high schools from September 2026. More than 30 states in the US have banned cellphones in schools. According to The New Yorker journalist Jay Caspian Kang, many parents are welcoming such government interventions as a way to ease the burden of parenting in the digital age.

Which country has what system ?

America

More than 30 states ban mobile phone use in schools

उनीहरूका अनुसार ७७ प्रतिशतभन्दा बढी बालबालिकाहरूले पाका आफन्त वा साथीहरूका नाममा अकाउन्ट खोलेर उमेर प्रमाणीकरण प्रणालीलाई छल्ने गरेका छन् । ‘प्रतिबन्ध छल्न गेमिङ अकाउन्ट भाडामा लिने वा किन्ने ब्ल्याक मार्केट फस्टाएको छ,’ सो आलेखमा भनिएको छ, ‘बालबालिकाहरूले वयस्कहरूको तस्बिर प्रयोग गरेर फेसियल रिकग्निसन प्रविधिलाई समेत झुक्याउने गरेको पाइएको छ ।’

वर्तमान समयमा इन्टरनेट र डिजिटल प्रविधि बालबालिकाका लागि मनोरञ्जन मात्र नभई खेल्न, सिक्न र भविष्यका लागि आवश्यक डिजिटल सीपहरू विकास गर्ने माध्यम भएको उल्लेख गर्दै युनिसेफले प्रतिबन्धका कारण बालबालिकाको सूचनाको हक, अभिव्यक्ति स्वतन्त्रता र सभा–सम्मेलन गर्न पाउने अधिकारसमेत प्रभावित हुने औंल्याएको छ ।

प्रतिबन्धलाई ‘म्याजिक फिक्स’ वा जादुको छडी मान्न नहुने उल्लेख गरेको छ । बरु डिजिटल संसारबाट बालबालिकालाई पूर्ण रूपमा अलग गर्नुको सट्टा उनीहरूलाई सुरक्षित रूपमा इन्टरनेट र प्रविधिको प्रयोग गर्न सिकाउनु बढी प्रभावकारी हुने युनिसेफको ठहर छ । ‘सरकारहरूले सामाजिक सञ्जालमा प्रतिबन्ध लगाउनुको सट्टा ती प्लाटफर्मलाई नै थप सुरक्षित बनाउन र बालबालिकाको सुरक्षाका लागि कम्पनीहरूलाई जिम्मेवार ठहर्‍याउनुपर्छ,’ युनिसेफको सुझाव छ ।

(एजेन्सीको सहयोगमा)

प्रकाशित : पुस २२, २०८२ ११:००