The EU wants to cure your teen’s smartphone addiction

> I honestly can't wrap my mind around how people think regulation is going to do that job for them.

It works pretty well for alcohol and for tobacco. With regards to tobacco, there's been a clear trend towards less tobacco usage in teenagers since 1997. that's when awareness campaigns began.

I don't think that people think that "regulation is going to do [parenting] for them". I think most people that let their children use smartphones simply don't care too much or are not aware about the serious problems arising from excessive smartphone usage.

are you gonna let them buy their own phones when they start saving enough money?

(Not a parent, but have been thinking about this for a long time)

There are situations where I'd think not giving a device to my kids wouldn't necesarily be all benefits

People that do get smartphones will develop ways of interacting, which you only "get" when you participate which you can't even know you're missing out, because you don't know what you don't know

A lot of it currently is "codified" in GenZ/Gen Alfa quirks, because they were the first to get smartphones so young, but it is there, and it can cause friction with older generations that feel it's all nonsensical

First, great that you're able to do that. I support that fully and hope to do the same. However, I'm sure there are a lot of parents that wish they could do something like that but circumstances prevent it. E.g. lack of awareness, local societal pressure, or the need for it (e.g. bus ticket apps)

> No amount of regulation outside of an outright ban is going to make this go away.

How about regulation mandating voluntary parental controls mechanisms on social media platforms or devices?

Or how about regulation mandating that companies share certain aggregate usage data to get insight into the scope of the issue so that ultimately parents and society can be better informed of the damage being caused?

Or regulations about phones at school so that teachers and schools have effective tools (e.g. parentally consented confiscations).

Sure, these regulations may not make this go away but it's high time that we take a closer look at the consequences of social media and smartphone use that has exploded the last ~15 years. Not to mention this is the EU. I think you'd find broad support in the populace here for at least taking a stab at the issue.

I agree with you but also: I gave my young daughter her own Android phone last week. Google Family Link is fantastic. It prevents her from using a web browser or any other things I don't want her to do. All she can do is message people, call people & look at maps. It turns itself the phone off an hour before bedtime. She can get headlines from Google search, which I didn't expect, but it's not proven a problem since the links can't be opened. The usage tracker shows she spent almost an hour messaging/calling yesterday, which is more than I expected, but if it gets too much then I can limit it. One happy customer here.

I agree that the best thing is to not give them smartphones but sometimes parents do not agree between them. Sometimes close friends and family will say you are too hard on your kids.

Some parents just don't realise how bad this is or they don't care.

Sometimes it's the grandparents who give them the smartphone and what you wanted to do is nullified and you are seen as bad because you deny to give them something "so good".

No, all in all, a global, robust solution need to be imposed by the governments. Like for tobacco, like for alcohol or drugs.

I have the problem with my daughter and I hate all this social media and stupid ad-based videogames in the smartphones.

This is when technology makes the world worst, the companies just seek their interest.

No, support from society is crucial. Otherwise your parenting will be subverted at every turn.

Your kids are using their friends' phones and you don't know what they're doing on them.

You go.

Seconded. These are just lazy parents. Let them get their kids addicted, I don't care.

That feels like you're pointing out the barn door is open after the horse has already bolted.

The EU approach here seems more like "what do we do to fix the situation as it stands?" kind of thing. So, probably more practical.

> Oh, I don't know. How about you just _don't_ give your kids a smartphone?

That would be the ideal solution, however imagine being the only kid in the class who doesn't have a smartphone; that would be a bullying experience waiting to happen. Unfortunately finding the right balance between giving only what is right and not turning the kid into a misfit/loner is very hard.

I think you should ask a teen what social media is to them.

My nieces and nephews are constantly messaging each other. 95% of their usage is messaging. It is spread across several apps. Discord for gaming, IG for trends, TT for short videos, etc.

This is how they stay in touch with friends.

They aren’t obsessively doom scrolling, which I found quite interesting.

> The addiction isnt to the smartphone, but to social media applications.

I wish this was true. Even for me a grown up, professional, responsible person, I have a hard time not wasting time on the internet altogether on my phone. It takes a lot for me not to fall back into the habit of mindlessly readying news pages, subreddits, yes, HN, etc. I would have to uninstall the browser which at some point I might try but how would you even do that on an off the shelf Android?!

Point being, I used to think having to fall back to a browser is the solution to breaking the habit, but for many of us it's not.

Do you feel the same way about far more damaging addictions, such as alcohol and unhealthy food? Do you agree that the government should outlaw the sale of booze, soda pop, fast food, etc?

Apples and oranges.

It's not about censorship.

I like how you made your comment ambiguous.

Having experience in parenting has nothing to do with understanding addiction though. If a psychiatrist tells you the best way is to just not give them a smartphone are you going to dismiss their opinion if they don’t have kids?

Nice line, might even get you some upvotes but it sounds pretty ignorant of the realities of the world we live in.