Overview
- At the 39th Argentine Congress of Psychiatry, Dr. Raúl Quiroga recommended no social networks before age 16 or tightly limited use, arguing that youth brains are still developing and that regulation is both necessary and technically possible.
- Clinicians and advocates report a surge in anxiety, depression and self-harm linked to heavy screen time, noting that suicide is the second leading cause of death among Argentine adolescents and that overexposure to devices worsens risk.
- Experts describe how notifications, likes and infinite scroll trigger quick dopamine spikes that the brain adapts to over time, which drives users to seek more stimuli and erodes attention, learning and the ability to enjoy offline life.
- Proposed harm‑reduction steps for families include delaying the first phone until after 13 or 14, keeping children off social networks until about 16, setting tech‑free spaces at home, modeling healthier adult use and promoting sports, arts and time outdoors.
- The issue cuts across income and age, with new reporting on retirees showing hyperconnectivity that fragments real conversations and raises risks from AI chat assistants that can produce confident but false medical or financial advice.