The World Health Organization (WHO) said that countries need to regulate smartphones like cigarettes. This is because the harm of smartphones to adolescents’ mental health is growing.
Natasha Azopardi Muscat, head of national health policy and systems at the WHO’s European branch, said in a recent interview with Politico on the 2nd (local time) that problematic behaviors derived from smartphone use are increasing among adolescents.
He said measures such as age restrictions, price control, and non-smoking areas were effective in regulating cigarettes, so they could also be used as a way to curb the harmful use of mobile devices such as smartphones.
Like banning smoking in certain places, he said, “It’s time to think about where it’s appropriate to use digital devices, and to think about places where certain digital devices shouldn’t be used.”
According to a WHO study released last month, game and social network service (SNS) behavior, which can be seen as addiction, is increasing among adolescents around the world.
A related study of 280,000 people between the ages of 11 and 15 in Europe, Central Asia, and Canada found that 13% of female teenagers and 9% of male teenagers had difficulty controlling their use of SNS and experienced negative consequences. In addition, 12% of teenagers were also exposed to problematic games.
In this regard, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently promised the first European-level investigation into the impact of SNS on the welfare of youth. Azopardi Muscat called for prompt action, saying, “Collecting evidence is essential, but we should not wait too long.”
JULIE KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
