Children's screen use sparks health and policy concerns worldwide

Experts in Germany warn that prolonged screen exposure can harm infants, stressing that endless video feeds keep the brain's reward system constantly active and may impair attachment, language development, sleep and eye health. A British study involving four universities identified similar risks for children under two, calling for stricter guidelines on permissible screen time.

In Thailand, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation reported that 72.6% of children under two spend more than an hour daily on screens. Officials are examining stricter regulations, looking to Australia’s ban on social‑media access for under‑16s as a possible model.

Germany’s federal family minister has commissioned a commission that proposes a legal age limit of 13 for personal social‑media accounts, though coalition partners disagree on how quickly to act. Twelve German organisations, including Bitkom and the German Parents’ Association, oppose an outright ban and instead demand better protective tools, media‑literacy education and proportional age‑verification.

A separate international consortium of scientists submitted a report to the British Parliament warning that electromagnetic radiation from smartphones is absorbed at much higher rates in children’s brains and skulls, potentially contributing to headaches, sleep disturbances and cognitive impairments. The report links current exposure limits to levels far above what is needed for cancer protection.

Across these regions, policymakers, health professionals and civil‑society groups are debating how to balance children’s digital exposure with developmental health and safety.