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No screens before the age of 3 years, no phone before the age of 11 years, no smartphone before the age of 13 years, and no social media before the age of 15 years — in a report submitted to French President Emmanuel Macron, a commission of experts proposed around 30 measures to encourage the proper use of screens by children and to reduce their detrimental impact on children's health.

Will the government regulate children's access to screens? Responding to Macron's request, a commission of 10 experts chaired by Amine Benyamina, MD, a psychiatrist and addiction specialist at Paul Brousse Hospital in Villejuif, France, and Servane Mouton, MD, a neurologist and neurophysiologist specializing in learning disorders, submitted its recommendations in a nearly 150-page report.

In early January, Macron asked these 10 experts to establish a scientific consensus and formulate recommendations on "the proper use of screens for our children." "We need to regain control of our screens and support families," he said at the time.

After 4 months of studying the scientific literature, hearing from a hundred professionals, and meeting with 150 young people, the commission advanced 29 proposals that it said "must be implemented as a whole" to yield results.

Noting that children are widely exposed to screens (an average of 10 per household, according to the latest digital survey) and that their increasing use contributes to sleep deficits, sedentary lifestyles, and lack of physical activity (all of which are risk factors for obesity and chronic diseases), the commission reaffirmed the principles that psychiatrist Serge Tisseron, MD, PhD, has advocated since 2008 in his "3-6-9-12+" campaign.

The experts recommended not exposing children under age 3 years to screens and advised against screen use until age 6 years (or occasionally with adult supervision). They urged authorities to prohibit screen exposure, especially in early childhood group settings (eg, daycares and preschools). The commission suggested moderate and controlled screen exposure after age 6 years.

Smartphones and Social Networks

The commission also provided new guidelines on mobile phone use and access to social networks. It advocated for a progressive introduction for young people by not giving a phone to a child before age 11 years. A child should not have a smartphone before age 13 years, and access to ethical social networks (ie, those that do not misuse personal data, offer controlled content, and do not lead to addiction, such as Mastodon or BlueSky) should only be granted from age 15 years. "Unsupervised access of minors to screens exposes them to insufficiently regulated, sometimes traumatic content, which can jeopardize their balance, health, and safety," the commission observed.

The experts demanded the implementation of "technological solutions to protect minors from illegal content, regardless of the digital entry point (eg, mobile, box, Wi-Fi at home, in schools)." This measure may be challenging for France because it requires the commitment of various digital services, including major platforms.

Sweeping Changes at School?

The role of digital technology in schools is also at the heart of the report as the experts recommended strengthening the ban on cellphones in middle schools and "combatting all practices detrimental to children in the use of digital workspaces." It recommended the further regulation of digital workspaces by establishing a right to disconnect for students between 7:00 PM and 7:30 AM (meaning that no updates should be published during this time). In a sign that the government seems ready to follow these recommendations, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has already stated that in terms of screens, "the National Education system must take responsibility."

By setting these guidelines, the commission aims to introduce the concept of gradual access to screens for minors, leading them toward their "digital autonomy." To oversee the proper implementation of this reform, the commission proposed the creation of an observatory to collect and monitor comprehensive data on screens and the variety of their uses. They also suggested the establishment of a prospective council to "address the challenges of a technological revolution accelerated by artificial intelligence."

During the presentation of this report, Macron indicated that he has given the government a month to translate these recommendations into action.

Parents Lack Information

Contacted by the Medscape French edition, Marie-Claude Bossière, MD, a child psychiatrist and member of the Screen Overexposure Collective, considers the commission's proposals to be "very interesting." "The temporal guidelines set by the experts are relevant. Opening access to social networks from the age of 15 is consistent with the age of digital majority."

Many parent groups have formed in recent years to delay the introduction of smartphones into their children's lives, such as United Parents Against Smartphones Before 15 or Collective to Fight Against the Digital Invasion of Schools.

"What is proposed for children is a step in the right direction," said Bossière. The report repeatedly emphasizes the importance of strengthening information and support for parents on the proper use of screens for young people through recurrent campaigns. It remains to be seen how these recommendations will be implemented.

While it may be difficult to implement regulation of social networks at an international level or restrict minors' access to pornographic sites, action can be taken within the family to encourage more reasoned screen use. "The best regulator is the parent!" said Bossière.

This story was translated from the Medscape French edition using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.