France's government-commissioned study recommending a smartphone ban for children under 13 reads like science fiction in 2024—yet it reflects something real: the first generation growing up entirely within algorithmic attention systems. The recommendations are tiered (no screens until age 6, dumb phones until 13, ethical social media until 15), which suggests genuine thought. But enforcement is fantasy. Parents can hand over their own devices. Schools, yes—but schools alone cannot contain a child's relationship with technology outside eight to ten hours a day, five days a week.
The deeper issue isn't enforcement; it's that we're only now quantifying what everyone suspects. The study cites developmental harm, attention collapse, and behavioral changes. What's missing is harder to measure: how many children are generating real economic value for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube through engagement that these platforms have deliberately engineered to be compulsive? The business model requires addiction. Regulation pretending otherwise is incomplete.
Sensible approaches exist and don't require bans. Schools controlling device access during school hours makes sense. Public health campaigns explaining why excess screen time degrades focus and wellbeing matter. Age gates on algorithmic social media—the kind that actually work to keep harmful feeds away from young users, not just apply a legal disclaimer—would address the real problem. But these require treating tech platforms as what they are: environments that optimize for engagement over health. France's study is honest about the problem. The solution proposed is theater.