THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) 鈥� The Dutch government advised parents on Tuesday not to have children under 15 use , citing psychological and physical problems among children using them, including panic attacks, depression and difficulties sleeping.
The Ministry of Health also encouraged parents to limit how long their children spend using electronic devices, keep phones and laptops out of bedrooms, and have 20 minutes of screentime followed by two hours of outside play.
The advisory 鈥済ives children the time to further develop digital resilience and media literacy,鈥� Vincent Karremans, caretaker deputy minister for youth and sport, said in a letter to parliament. Karremans is one of several ministers who remained on after earlier this month pending October elections.
Both TikTok and Instagram require users to be at least 13 years of age.
The guidelines, which are not legally binding, distinguish between 鈥渟ocial media鈥� sites like TikTok and Instagram and 鈥渟ocial interaction platforms鈥� such as messaging services WhatsApp and Signal. The social media sites have 鈥渟ignificantly more additive design features鈥� that have a negative impact on children, the government said.
Children can use the messaging services from age 13, the year most Dutch children start secondary school, according to the recommendations.
Last year, to ban children under 16 from using social media. Denmark and France are considering similar legislation and about limiting screentime for kids last year.
A group of experts, put together at the request of the Dutch parliament, found that intense screentime and social media usage can result in physical and psychological problems in children.
Dutch schools have banned students from using tablets, cell phones and smart watches, with some exceptions, such as classes on media literacy.
In May, some 1,400 doctors and child welfare experts in the Netherlands signed a public letter, calling on the government to ban children under 14 from having cell phones and restricting social media usage until age 16.
In February, Dutch Queen M谩xima said that her youngest daughter, Princess Ariane, had eyesight problems from spending too much time on mobile devices.
Molly Quell, The Associated Press
