Urgent Plea for "Screen Emergency Status" Advocated by Ex-Prime Minister Attal and Child Psychiatrist Rufo

Urgent Plea for "Screen Emergency Status" Advocated by Ex-Prime Minister Attal and Child Psychiatrist Rufo

The Alarm Bells Ring Louder: It's Time for Screen Sobriety 🤔

In a hard-hitting op-ed published on April 28 by Le Figaro, former PM Gabriel Attal and child psychiatrist Marcel Rufo are calling for urgent action to shield our youth from the perils of digital addiction. "Screens are like a silent assassin, striking at our kids' mental health – anxiety, depression, eating disorders... we're on the brink," they warn. It's been a year since the Enfants et ecrans report, commissioned by Emmanuel Macron, shed light on the issue.

What's the game plan? 🎲

The duo suggests a complete overhaul, starting with a "state of emergency for screens" and some radical moves. Adolescents already spend between 3.5 to 5 hours a day in screen-land, and it's only getting worse. To put a leash on our screen-obsessed youth, they propose the following measures:

1. Age Verification: Similar to pornographic sites, they want to institute age verification to block under-15s from accessing social media.
2. Digital Curfew: For those aged 15 to 18, there'll be a digital curfew from 10 pm to 8 am. Social networks will switch to black and white for this age group, at least an hour after 30 minutes of use, to dull their allure.
3. One-hour Limit: Minors will be granted just an hour of screen time daily. A shocking move, considering even China does it with TikTok.
4. Public Addict-Score: They propose a public rating system, much like the Nutri-score, to evaluate the addictive potential of apps and platforms.
5. Fundamental Finance Switch: They aim for 2% of the revenue generated by these platforms in France to be channeled into a fund financing mental health research and treatment.

Of course, these are just the headlines. The full report, dubbed "Enfants et écrans: à la recherche du temps perdu," provides more detailed recommendations, some of which include:

1. Age-based Protections: Pediatricians, neurologists, and public health experts advocate a ban on screens before 6 years, as screen use under 6 can have detrimental effects on brain development, cognitive abilities, and long-term health[3][4][5].
2. Environmental Responsibility: Adults must eliminate screens during shared moments, and schools and childcare settings should enforce the "no screens before 6" rule consistently.

[References][1] Gabriel Attal and Marcel Rufo, "Le couple-tampon pour sauver nos enfants – Le Figaro, 28 April 2023."[2] Le Figaro, "Les recommandations toutes proches de l'Enfants et ecrans sur le temps des ecrans des enfants – Le Figaro, 29 April 2023."[3] "Enfants et écrans: à la recherche du temps perdu – Report submitted to Emmanuel Macron, April 2024."[4] Société Française de Pédiatrie, Neurologist Servane Mouton, and Neonatologist Hugues Patural, "Update to Enfants et ecrans report – April 2025."[5] "No Screens Before 6: A Groundbreaking Update on Screen Exposure Guidelines for Young Children – Press Release, April 2025."

1. Former PM Gabriel Attal and child psychiatrist Marcel Rufo, in a recent op-ed for Le Figaro, advocate for immediate action to safeguard adolescents from digital addiction, likening screens to a "silent assassin" that threatens mental health.
2. They propose a "state of emergency for screens," suggesting measures such as age verification for social media, a digital curfew, a one-hour screen time limit, and a public rating system to evaluate the addictive potential of apps and platforms.
3. The duo seeks a Fundamental Finance Switch, whereby 2% of revenue generated by these platforms in France would be allocated to a fund supporting mental health research and treatment.
4. Beyond these headlines, the full report provides more detailed recommendations, including a ban on screens before age 6 due to potential negative impacts on brain development, cognitive abilities, and long-term health.
5. Adults are urged to eliminate screens during shared moments, and schools and childcare settings should enforce the "no screens before 6" rule consistently.
6. These policy proposals come a year after Emmanuel Macron commissioned the Enfants et ecrans report, which shed light on the issue of digital addiction among adolescents.
7. The broader implications of this call to action extend beyond the realm of health-and-wellness and mental-health; they intersect with policy-and-legislation, politics, general-news, and even entertainment, as the influence and pervasiveness of social media and screens continue to expand.

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