Children should avoid exposure to screens until the age of three, according to recommendations from a panel of experts convened by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The report calls on Europe to rethink children's relationship with digital devices from infancy onwards.
At a time when smartphones and tablets are increasingly used to entertain, calm or feed young children, or simply provide parents with a few moments of respite, experts warn that excessive screen exposure may affect attention spans, language acquisition and socio-emotional development.
Children under three are viewed as passive users of the digital environment, with the main risk arising when screens replace eye contact, conversation and direct interaction with parents. The report goes beyond social media, outlining a roadmap for screen and digital service use from birth to adulthood, with different levels of protection for different age groups.
Screens as a "digital babysitter"
For children under three, the report focuses less on the content being consumed and more on what screens may replace.
The use of smartphones or tablets by parents to calm or distract a child can reduce direct interaction, which is critical for the development of attention, language and social-emotional skills.
The report uses the term "technoference" to describe technology's interference in the parent-child relationship.
The concern is not only the screen given to a child, but also the device used by adults when it repeatedly interrupts communication, play and emotional responsiveness.
The recommendation to avoid screens until age three is not presented as a blanket ban on all use. Rather, experts link it to the need to prioritise human interaction, physical activity, exploration of the real world and the development of strong bonds with caregivers.
Different ages, different risks
A central premise of the report is that a three-year-old and a sixteen-year-old should not be subject to the same rules.
Between the ages of three and five, children become more independent users but remain vulnerable to constant stimulation, instant gratification and the reward systems built into many applications.
Between six and nine years old, digital use expands and external validation becomes more important. Likes, ratings and rankings interact with still-developing self-esteem, increasing performance anxiety and social comparison. Risks related to cyberbullying, hate speech and online harassment also become more pronounced.
The report identifies the ages of ten to twelve as the period when multiple risks converge. Social media increasingly becomes a prerequisite for social participation, while algorithms intensify comparison, exposure to harmful or illegal content and addictive patterns of use.
The report cites research suggesting that receiving a smartphone at age 12 rather than 13 may be associated with a higher risk of depression and other mental health issues one year later.
From ages 13 to 15, traditional parental supervision becomes less effective and risks are shaped increasingly by the design of the platforms themselves.
Between 16 and 18, teenagers gain greater autonomy but have not yet completed their neurological development. Risks related to addiction, anxiety and mental health remain.
Parental approval before 13
The report's most significant policy recommendation is a common European restriction on access to social media and other high-risk digital services for children under 13.
Below that age, access should be time-limited and permitted only with parental authorisation and supervision, or within an educational context.
From age 13 onwards, children would gain increasing autonomy, but only on services that are age-appropriate and safe by design.
Member states would retain the ability to adopt stricter national limits for teenagers.
The report notes that France and Greece are considering a minimum age of 15, while Denmark is discussing a threshold of 16, with possible exceptions based on parental consent. Similar initiatives are being debated elsewhere in Europe.
To enforce such restrictions, the report calls for reliable age-verification systems that protect privacy and avoid unnecessary processing of identity documents or biometric data.
Platforms in the spotlight
The report does not place responsibility solely on parents.
Instead, it argues that technology companies bear primary responsibility for the safety of the services they design and provide.
Particular attention is given to features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay, persistent notifications and personalised recommendation algorithms.
According to the experts, these mechanisms are designed to increase engagement, encourage compulsive device checking and steer users towards increasingly extreme or harmful content.
The report recommends expanding mandatory "safety by design" rules, including safer default settings and restrictions on addictive features for minors.
It also proposes reversing the burden of proof: rather than requiring parents and regulators to demonstrate that a service harms children, technology companies should be required to prove that their services are safe.
Until they do so, minors' access should be limited.
"Don't stop at bans"
The report stresses that age restrictions are a preventive measure, not a complete solution.
It acknowledges that many children find ways to circumvent general bans and therefore calls for parallel investment in digital literacy, parental guidance and teacher training.
Particular emphasis is placed on helping young people understand how algorithms work, how content is created and distributed and how personal data is used.
The experts also propose child-friendly reporting mechanisms, stronger funding for support helplines and priority treatment of complaints submitted by minors.
At the same time, governments and local authorities are encouraged to improve access to sports, arts, libraries, youth clubs and safe community spaces.
The underlying logic, the report concludes, is that reducing screen time cannot be achieved through restrictions alone if children are not offered attractive and affordable alternatives offline.
