The Civil Affairs Institute (ISO), a non-governmental organization in Poland, marked the day with an open letter arguing that smartphones can be as addictive as alcohol, cigarettes, or cocaine, especially for children.
“Every day without a smartphone is a good day,” the NGO wrote in a statement. "Our recommendation is clear: no smartphones until a child is 13 or 14. The longer you can postpone it, the better for your child.”
The statement refers to the work of German psychiatrist and neuroscientist Manfred Spitzer, author of several widely discussed books on the impact of digital technology on children’s development.
Spitzer argues that smartphones threaten children’s health, education and emotional development, and has compared their use to a public health crisis.
Rafał Górski, head of the ISO and leader of its “Save the Children” campaign, warned that excessive use of mobile devices can lead to vision problems, obesity, sleep disorders, posture issues and prediabetic symptoms in children.
He also cited risks to mental health, including anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, attention disorders, increased aggression and reduced empathy.
"Importantly, smartphones damage a child’s development not only when they use the phone themselves, but also when their parents use them while trying to care for their children," Górski added.
He said that smartphones are addictive in ways similar to alcohol or narcotics, and that children are more vulnerable than adults, with more severe long-term consequences.
Górski argued that children need verbal interaction and shared activities for healthy development — “millions of words spoken to them, and tens of thousands of games played with parents, such as building with blocks, painting pictures, reading stories, singing songs, and kicking a ball.”
Quoting Denmark’s Minister for Children and Education, Mattias Tesfaye, Górski added that society had been “too naïve and blinded by the achievements of big tech companies,” which have interfered with children's learning.
Tesfaye recently told Danish media that he hoped “we stop handing out tablets to first graders and give them pencils and teach them to write letters instead.”
The Polish NGO’s appeal comes as several European governments move to tighten restrictions on mobile phone use in schools.
Last week, Portugal’s government approved a decree banning students from using smartphones in primary and lower secondary schools. The new rules, which take effect after summer holidays, will apply to both public and private institutions.
In a similar move, Italy’s education minister, Giuseppe Valditara, has announced that his country will extend its existing classroom phone ban to cover upper secondary schools as well.
The ISO also emphasized the influence of corporate interests. According to Górski, tech companies such as TikTok, Meta (owner of Facebook and Instagram), Google (YouTube), and smartphone manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi profit most from the lack of a school phone ban.
Telecom providers also benefit, he said, naming Polish firms Play, Orange, Plus and T-Mobile.
"These corporations are getting your children hooked on their products and services, day by day," Górski warned. He pointed to a famous quote attributed to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs: "Never get high on your own supply."
Jobs, in a 2010 interview, said his own children were not allowed to use the iPad and that technology use was strictly limited in his home.
The ISO concluded with a call to parents to mark World No Mobile Phone Day by turning devices off and spending time playing, reflecting, and reconnecting with their children.
"Let it be a chance for change,” the statement said.
A 2023 study published in PNAS Nexus, a peer-reviewed journal, found that attention span, mood and mental health improve noticeably within two weeks of disconnecting from mobile internet.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP, gov.pl, instytutsprawobywatelskich.pl