Mary Rooke Commentary and Analysis Writer
It’s hard to imagine agreeing with anything the World Health Organization (WHO) proposes. Still, at its recent European Health Forum, the organization discussed solutions to a public health epidemic that could actually help.
The Director of the Division of Country Health Policies and Systems for the WHO, Dr. Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, told Politico outside the conference that countries should consider legislation that regulates digital devices like smartphones to help mitigate the negative consequences on our children’s mental health. Azzopardi-Muscat likened the regulations to those most countries have adopted toward tobacco products, such as outlawing smoking for underage children and in some public places, like indoor facilities.
Providing a child with a smartphone or tablet at a younger age was correlated with heightened instances of:
• Suicidal ideation
• Aggression
• And feelings of detachment from realityOne interesting note: These trends are more prominent in females pic.twitter.com/IgyBxNBNeh
— FoundMyFitness Clips (@fmfclips) May 9, 2024
“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,” she told the outlet. (First October Surprise Comes At Worst Possible Moment For Harris’s Campaign)
“As with anything else, you can use these tools well and effectively, Azzopardi-Muscat continued. “But 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 wellbeing, their productivity in the workforce.”
My niece committed suicide this week.
She was only 14.
She was targeted by a pedophile ring on TikTok, and and groomed. Sent them pics etc.Her mom found out when Homeland security showed up at the door a couple of months ago. (They didn’t tell the rest of the family)
The…
— Meta Jane (@MetaJane5) June 8, 2023
Most parents are, unfortunately, very aware of the disastrous effects cell phones and social media have had on our children. You don’t need a medical director at the WHO to explain what we see in front of our eyes. The dam is broken, however, and our children are already floating down the river of endless scandalous content and instant gratification.
Several states are already working to end their use in schools. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued E.O 33 on July 9 “to help bring cell phone-free education to Virginia schools.”
We’re establishing cell phone-free education in schools benefiting students, parents and educators across Virginia. This essential action will promote a healthier educational environment where every child is free to learn. https://t.co/A6CA7htBt1
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) July 9, 2024
Youngkin’s order is designed to help give parents, teachers and students guidance to understand the negative consequences of smartphone and social media usage on students and “promote a healthier and more focused educational environment where every child is free to learn.” Virginia is calling this the “bell-to-bell” method. Cell phones and other personal electronic devices will be barred from being used from the beginning of the school until the last bell rings, but usage will be scaled depending on the age and grade of the students.
Virginia has developed a brilliant model for getting to phone-free schools.
First, Gov. Youngkin issued a well-researched executive order laying out the destination and the justification:https://t.co/bCVmkCKIOf
Next, the VA DOE and the governor’s wife, Suzanne Youngkin, set…
— Jonathan Haidt (@JonHaidt) September 21, 2024
For example, elementary and middle school students may not use electronic devices in the building or on school grounds. If a parent wants their child to have a cell phone or other electronic device at school, it must be turned off and stored away during school hours. Similarly, high school students cannot have their devices on during the day. They will be permitted to use their devices before and after school on campus grounds, however. (ROOKE: Walz Solidifies Harris Policy Position That Would Transform Country As We Know It)
I’ll never approve of the government stepping into the role of parent, but some parents are still blind to the harmful effects these cell phones are having on the mental and educational environment of our children, even on the kids who don’t have them. This is why Virginia’s approach to these devices is measured and reasonable. Youngkin is not just banning cell phone usage at Virginia schools as an act of power but directing the state’s Department of Education and other agencies to actively educate parents on healthier options.
The teen mental health crisis was not caused by reality getting worse around 2012. Their material and physical health improved steadily. To paraphrase Epictetus: “It is not events which disturb teens. It is the device through which they interpret all events.”… pic.twitter.com/BDbawhqQQW
— Jonathan Haidt (@JonHaidt) January 7, 2024
As a mother with children attending a school where these devices are not permitted, I can attest to the benefit these policies bring. The students are focused on learning, have fewer behavioral issues and are happier than their peers who face different learning environments. Still, it’s not enough to outlaw their use in schools. Parents have to decide to ban them at home for this to make a real difference.
When should you give your child a phone, social media, and access to the internet?
These are important questions for parents that will have a big impact on their child’s mental health
Phones are addictive
Social media is linked to bad mental health
The internet exposes them… pic.twitter.com/mJ8kjX84q9
— Raising Healthy Families (@thriving__kids) September 26, 2024
For once, the WHO is on the right side of an issue. Children shouldn’t have access to smartphones or social media. The idea that the government needs to act in the best interest of its people (i.e., banning children from cell phones) is probably a net good. Still, their proposal to push governments to regulate what is best for families is a bit dystopian. Youngkin’s guidance is more appropriate because it still gives parents the primary role in raising their children while educating them on the adverse side effects.