Amid increasing numbers of reports on the dangers of smartphones on kids, a committee of British MPs has called on the next government to consider proposals to ban smartphones for under-16s within its first year, the BBC reported.
A report, conducted by the Education Select Committee and was released on Saturday, said the risks of increased screen time for children and young people significantly outweighed its benefits.
According to the report’s findinds, there had been a significant rise in screen time in recent years, with one in four children now using their phone in a manner resembling behavioural addiction.
The authors of the report urged incoming ministers to encourage mobile-phone companies to produce specific children’s phones, which can be used to maintain contact through calls, texts and GPS location but cannot access the internet.
