Overview
- A new national study presented with Asturias figures finds children get their first mobile phone at about 11 years old, first exposure to pornography at 12, 2.4% of secondary students meet criteria for problematic gambling and 5.9% show a high suicide risk.
- Co‑authors and clinicians say these numbers connect early and excessive screen use to harms across mental health, sexuality, gambling, social networks and video games and call for sustained, evaluable responses from public authorities.
- Experts highlight platform design as a driver of risk, noting business models that maximize time on device and recommendation algorithms that trap young users, and they demand real age‑verification and stronger enforcement of platform duties.
- Medical authorities recommend strict age and time limits for screens — no screens before age six, no more than one hour daily for ages seven to 12, and a maximum of two hours from age 13 — and advise clinical referral when problematic use appears.
- Community groups and school events are translating the study into practical steps such as family 'pacts' to delay personal smartphones and classroom limits, while policy debates move toward raising social‑media minimum ages and coordinated regulation informed by foreign precedents like Sweden.