The Dutch government approves new guidelines for children's phones
The interim cabinet in the Netherlands is preparing to publish new guidelines tomorrow, Tuesday, regarding children's use of social media, which include a recommendation not to give children mobile phones before their final year in primary school (basisschool).
RTL Nieuws reported that these recommendations will be issued in the form of general guidelines and not as a draft law. This move comes in response to calls from parents, academic circles, and most members of parliament, who have demanded urgent action to limit the impact of social media and phones on children's education and mental health.
Last month, more than 1,400 doctors, scientists, and health specialists signed an open letter urging politicians to impose legal age limits on the use of smartphones and social media by children.
The signatories recommended that children should not own smartphones before the age of 14, and that they should not be allowed to use social media until they are at least 16 years old.
It is worth noting that since September 2023, mobile phones have been officially banned in classrooms across the Netherlands, with schools allowed to implement the rules in their own way, and exceptions for special medical cases.