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German pediatricians urge age limit on social media for children
Bundessprecher Jakob Maske, spokesperson for the German Association of Paediatricians (BVKJ), warned that social‑media use is increasingly harming children and adolescents. “I notice almost every day in my practice that the problems are getting worse,” he said, adding that “there is a serious parental failure regarding social media and screen use.”
The physicians call for national restrictions, supporting a ban on social‑media access for users up to about 14 years old. They cite France’s recent law prohibiting platforms for under‑15s and note that Spain, Greece and Austria are also considering similar limits. German Family Minister Karin Prien announced plans to introduce a comparable ban, and Health Minister Carsten Linnemann was urged to act quickly, with Maske emphasizing that “the possibility to set national conditions for platforms has long existed.”
The doctors stress that younger children are already glued to smartphones and tablets, observing parents and toddlers alike using devices in waiting rooms, and warn that the trend of distracting very young children with screens must be halted to protect their mental health.
Entities
Bundesverband Kinder- und Jugendärzte (BVKJ) · Bundesverband Kinder‑ und Jugendärzte (BVKJ) · Carsten Linnemann · France · Jakob Maske · Karin Prien
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Pediatricians criticize parents for not setting limits on children's screen use. www.ruhrnachrichten.de · www.halternerzeitung.de · www.zeit.de · www.muensterlandzeitung.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] German paediatric doctors observe increasing mental‑health problems among children due to social‑media use. www.ruhrnachrichten.de · www.halternerzeitung.de · www.zeit.de · www.muensterlandzeitung.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] New Health Minister Carsten Linnemann is expected to act on the proposed social‑media ban. www.ruhrnachrichten.de · www.halternerzeitung.de · www.zeit.de · www.muensterlandzeitung.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] The BVKJ supports a legal ban on social‑media for children up to about age 14 in Germany. www.ruhrnachrichten.de · www.halternerzeitung.de · www.zeit.de · www.muensterlandzeitung.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] Spain, Greece and Austria are planning to legislate age‑based social‑media bans for minors. www.ruhrnachrichten.de · www.halternerzeitung.de · www.zeit.de · www.muensterlandzeitung.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] German Family Minister Karin Prien announced plans to introduce a social‑media ban for minors in Germany. www.ruhrnachrichten.de · www.halternerzeitung.de · www.zeit.de · www.muensterlandzeitung.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] France was the first EU country to ban social‑media for users under 15. www.ruhrnachrichten.de · www.halternerzeitung.de · www.zeit.de · www.muensterlandzeitung.de