ustria has announced plans to ban social media for children aged under 14, becoming the latest country to consider introducing restrictions for children online.
It follows lengthy negotiations within the conservative-led three-party coalition government, but it is not yet clear how or when the ban will be implemented.
Announcing the plans, Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler of the Social Democrats said the government could not stand by and watch as social media made children "addicted and also often ill".
He said it was the responsibility of politicians to protect children and argued that the issue should be treated no different to alcohol or tobacco: "There must be clear rules in the digital world too."
In future, said Babler, children under 14 would be protected from algorithms that were addictive.
Read the full article on BBC.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially added video game addiction — characterised by "a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour" that "takes precedence over other life interests" — to their International Classification of Diseases (ICD) database.
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As the world digitises, children and adolescents are increasingly using digital technologies. These devices offer benefits such as exposure to social contacts and support, potential learning opportunities and access to health promotion material. However, along with these benefits, emerging evidence is indicating that frequent, extended use of digital devices is associated with negative impacts on the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents.
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