Paris: In an effort to guarantee the health and welfare of young children, the French government has legally banned the use of screens in all childcare facilities for children aged three years and under. The decree was signed by Health and Solidarity Minister Catherine Vautrin and comes into force today targeting micro-nurseries, day-care centers, and babysitters across the country.
"I wish to establish a health barrier between screens and children," Vautrin told the French daily, Le Parisien. The action is in response to growing concern from health professionals and government ministers about the ill effects of early exposure to digital screens, such as smartphones, tablets, television sets, and computers.
The ban amends the 2021 national decree which had merely discouraged the use of screens, now officially prohibiting its use in professional childcare facilities. The new rule is also incorporated into the national charter for the reception of young children, by which all childcare professionals are required to abide.
Two-year-olds already spend an average of 56 minutes a day staring at screens, warns Public Health France. And merely 13.7% of two-year-olds never look at any screen at all, a figure that has amazed public health professionals. Experts point to grave risks to brain development, sleeping patterns, and eyesight with screen viewing at this age.
A commission set up by President Emmanuel Macron last year and appointed by the government reported that the average French household owns 10 screens. The report fueled increasing demands for strong action.
That's only the beginning," said Vautrin's office. "Few of these installations have screens, but we want to send a clear message. Everyone must be shocked when they see a child less than three years old in front of the TV or in front of a phone.".
The minister said she also hoped to roll the ban out into home environments in the future, though it would have to be legislated and would be symbolic, like the 2019 ban on corporal punishment. "It's about making the idea stick that it's not okay," she said.
President Macron has echoed these warnings, previously describing screens as "the breeding ground for all difficulties." He has supported proposals to outlaw smartphones for under-11s and to introduce a "digital majority" age of 15 for restricting the use of social media sites.
While France also prohibits smartphones in schools, it is not uniformly enforced. The new screen ban for childcare centers, however, is one of the most concrete measures the country has introduced till date to limit kids' digital technology use. The action is also hoped by policymakers and health authorities to spark broader cultural change.
