Problema 2 · Inglés PAU Canarias Junio (Ciencias) 2025

Children and smartphones: setting some limits is a good idea

With the rise of smartphones and smartwatches, people—notably younger generations—spend a lot of

time online. Being connected has become an essential part of their lives. Therefore, preventing youngsters

from participating in this online world is hopeless. The genie is out of the bottle. The problems linked to

the internet are complicated, and simply keeping children away from it will not solve them.

5 Although some promote a tech-positive view, most people recognise that the portable computers we carry

around with us make excessive demands on our time and attention. This highlights the necessity for

intervention. Just as children need guidance to develop healthy eating habits, they also require support to

learn how to use the internet in moderation—especially at a young age. However, avoiding extreme

measures, such as simply banning smartphones, can create the impression that nothing can be done about

10 the issue or that the responsibility falls entirely on parents.

American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, the most prominent supporter of the pro-active view on

smartphones, argues that social media use has caused a huge rise in teenage mental illness, particularly

among girls, and calls for collective action to reverse this. Supporting this position, Professor Lord

Darzi—a distinguished expert in medicine and health policy—acknowledged in a review of the National

15 Health Service in England that the dramatic rise in mental health issues is likely related to social media but

could not say whether it was the “cause or the consequence of depression.”

Some critics think that Haidt oversimplifies the problem, but his perspective has caught the attention of

policymakers worldwide. For example, the Australian government is considering raising the minimum age

for social networking platforms use from 13 to 16, while officials across Europe are implementing stricter

20 regulations. In fact, the UK has some of the strictest legislation in the world to protect children online.

Earlier this year, the government advised schools to ban phones during lunchtime as well as lessons. Last

week, another warning was sounded: Science Secretary Peter Kyle has indicated he would consider

following Australia in prohibiting social media accounts for under-16s.

Nevertheless, smartphone use is not the biggest challenge facing schools in the UK. There are problems

25 that need to be solved, such as a shortage of teachers, child poverty, and a lack of funding. Phone

restrictions could be seen as a distraction from bigger issues, like raising the age limits for social media,

which tech companies are likely to oppose.

Teachers, along with parents and wider society, have a role in setting boundaries for children and should

not be neglected. The worsening of children’s mental health and cases linked to online interactions cannot

30 be ignored. There are good reasons to act.

Fragment adapted from The Guardian, September 2024

2. ANSWER the questions below. COPY no more than 10 words and/or a number from the text to answer each question. (1.5 points)

a)

How is the attempt to stop young people from using the internet viewed by the author?

b)

What politician is open to the idea of banning social media accounts for young children?

c)

Who shares the responsibility for establishing limits for children's social media use?