A doctor working for the World Health Organization (WHO) has suggested it may be beneficial for countries to regulate digital devices like smartphones in a similar way to age- and location-restricted products like cigarettes to combat growing concern over smartphone and social media addiction. Manufacturers like Human Made Devices (HMD) have also highlighted the issue, and introduced devices designed to help people digitally detox, along with a plan to create phones for teens with the help of parents through The Better Phone Project.
Dr. Natasha Azzopardi Muscat, director of the Division of Country Health Policies and Systems for the WHO, speaking at the European Health Forum, told Politico: “Maybe we need to think about where it is appropriate to use digital devices, and maybe it’s also time to start thinking about places where certain digital devices should not be used, just as we have banned smoking in certain areas.”
Azzopardi Muscat referred to a recent WHO study of nearly 280,000 people ages 11 to 15, which showed one in 10 struggled to manage their social media use. It also included evidence showing, “problematic gaming and social media behavior” was on the rise in Europe. She mentioned how measures like age limits and controlled pricing, along with specific areas where such devices could be used, could be introduced as ways to help people manage their use of connected devices. In many countries, smoking is banned in indoor spaces including restaurants and cafes, and locations such as airports have dedicated smoking areas located in buildings and outside.
Research published by King’s College London in August found 33% of teens surveyed self-reported a condition referred to as Problematic Smartphone Use (PSU), and were twice as likely to suffer from anxiety, and three times as likely to experience depression as those who did not. Azzopardi Muscat said it was important that children and teenagers were taught about the risks of extended smartphone and social media use, so they were better equipped to recognize problems and how to manage them, which are more measured approaches to the issue than suggested age and location restrictions.
“We have to be careful because we have a portion of the population who are reporting problematic use, and we know that this eventually can go on to affect their educational outcomes, their mental health and well-being, their productivity in the workforce,” Azzopardi Muscat said, adding that evidence around the problem still needs to be examined before any decisions should be made.
