A high-ranking official from the World Health Organization (WHO) believes that countries should consider restricting how young people use smartphones and other handheld devices. Dr. Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, who leads a part of the WHO focused on health policies, likened the overuse of these gadgets to being addicted to tobacco.
At a recent health forum in Austria, she suggested that just like smoking bans in certain places, we might need to think about where and when it’s okay to use smartphones. “Maybe it’s time to create rules for using digital devices, especially for young people,” she said.
Why This Matters
Dr. Azzopardi-Muscat pointed out that while technology can be helpful, it can also hurt mental health, hinder education, and decrease productivity at work. Many young people are spending too much time on their phones, and some report that their usage is becoming a problem.
She emphasized that we need to carefully collect evidence about how devices affect kids b...
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