Following a first opinion in December 2019 on the risks of screen exposure, the Haut Conseil de santé publique (HCSP, the French High Council for Public Health) is studying problematic use. Dysfunctional use of the internet before the pandemic affected around 13% of young people aged 12 to 14. Covid-19 measures increased overuse of and dependence on screens. Many tests measuring the risk of screen dependence have been developed around the world; they must be reliable and valid in order to identify young gamers who are dependent, or at risk of tipping into problematic use. Producers of digital technologies exploit these addictive effects and attractive power; this “captive” risk of screens spares no age, but can lead to dropping out of school in adolescence. In its recommendations, the HCSP advocates training young people and their families in digital objects, and not systematically medicalising intensive use when users are able to stay in control of their use; it recommends strengthening psychosocial skills in schools and learning to put into words the emotions aroused by images. The HCSP also stresses the societal responsibility of industry and proposes including in the ethical debate the exposure of minors to incitements to violence, bullying and sexism, and to influences linked to access to the internet and social media.
https://www.hcsp.fr/explore.cgi/avisrapportsdomaine?clefr=1074
Serge Tisseron is a psychiatrist, holds a doctorate in psychology with accreditation to supervise research, is a member of the Académie des technologies, and is an associate researcher at Université de Paris (CRPMS).
