what are the recommendations of the health authorities?

France and the WHO advise limiting exposure to screens as much as possible before the age of 5, particularly when it is passive. But beyond age, we must also take into account uses.

To resume “control of our screens”. Among the many subjects raised by Emmanuel Macron during his press conference on Tuesday January 16, there was talk of the supposed negative effects of “screens” on the development and well-being of children. The President of the Republic, for whom “we left many families without instructions” faced with the development of digital practices, announced the creation of a committee of experts on the subject, which will make initial recommendations to parents “end of March”.

But the effect of exposure to screens (a term which includes an infinite number of uses) has been a subject studied for many years. Most French and international health authorities have already made recommendations, and they do not always agree. What are the recommended best practices?

Limit passive exposure as much as possible

Before the age of 5 – the age varies depending on the authorities, but the idea is the same – it is advisable to apply the precautionary principle and limit passive exposure to screens as much as possible. In France, the reference recommendations come from the High Council for Public Health, for which “before the age of 3, screens should be avoided if the conditions for parental interaction are not met”.

“Parental supervision is the most important point”explains to franceinfo Vanessa Lalo, clinical psychologist specializing in digital practices. “The problem arises especially when the child remains passive, alone, in front of the screen, at an age when he must develop his psychomotor skills and language. When it is used with parents in a moderate way and there is interaction , there is not necessarily a negative consequence on the child’s development.”

For its part, the World Health Organization recommended in 2019 not to “place the child in front of a screen” before the age of 2 and to limit the practice to one hour per day maximum between 3 and 5 years, while emphasizing that “less is more”. Recommendations supported by the Canadian Pediatric Society, which makes an exception before 2 years for video conversations “with caring adults” like grandparents, and for educational or interactive content viewed with parents.

Different recommendations depending on the content

Beyond early childhood, it becomes difficult to give clear instructions for specific ages, because the term “screens” brings together a lot of different content and uses, which can have negative, but also positive, consequences. Educational games, hateful videos, conversations with friends… “The most important thing with screens is what we do with them”insists Vanessa Lalo.

“Between spending four hours watching videos for pure entertainment and watching educational content, there is a world of difference.”

Vanessa Lalo, psychologist

at franceinfo

This infinity of practices makes it very difficult to attribute clear and shared consequences to “screens” on the well-being or development of children, and to formulate recommendations accordingly. “If we could have a scientific consensus so quickly, we would not have had such heated debates for years”recalls Vanessa Lalo.

One of the pieces of advice that specialists emphasize the most is in fact not specific to screens: you must communicate with your child and try to understand their uses. “It is the dialogue that is very lacking, parents tend to try to impose arbitrary rules based on practices described in the media, but which do not correspond to those of their children”explains Vanessa Lalo.

“We have to be interested in what they do, to possibly guide them towards better quality content”, adds the specialist. Concerning the use of video games, for example, Vanessa Lalo specifies: “I always recommend watching at least a clip of a game so you can discuss it with your child.” But there is no clear time limit beyond which the practice is considered dangerous.

Same thing for the use of social networks, officially authorized from the age of 13 in France – a limit not always easy to enforce when 81% of 12-14 year olds had a smartphone in 2019, according to Arcep. “If we can agree as a family to wait until 13 years, so much the better, but if that doesn’t work, it’s always better to admit the situation and properly support your child rather than closing your eyes and leaving the child left to himself”estimates the psychologist.

In general, the WHO also recommends encouraging sporting activity and ensuring good quality sleep from an early age. To limit the negative effects of screens, the tips are not limited to the button off.