The Government proposes to ban the use of AI in schools until 14 years old

BarcelonaHealth problems derived from intensive screen exposure are no longer a future threat to the youngest: they are a reality. The consequences vary according to the life stage, but the combination of risks over the years can favor the appearance of pathologies, some irreversible, among children and adolescents. From 0 to 6 years old, the inappropriate use of technologies can cause them to start speaking later, develop myopia, or have motor difficulties. Between 7 and 11 years old, it can worsen sleep, favor overweight and the appearance of cavities, and affect academic performance. And from 12 to 18 years old, it can increase emotional distress, distort one's own image –and the perception of personal worth– and increase vulnerability to patterns of violence and harassment, both inside and outside social networks.

This is the diagnosis made by the Department of Health in its new guide of recommendations for responsible and conscious digitalization with the impact on health during youth, based on some 700 unique reviews of international scientific literature. The document includes a description of the specific risk factors for each maturational stage, as well as recommendations for society and the administration to minimize their effects and favor healthy technological environments, "not dictated by the industry". Regarding the evidence it collects, health authorities have taken into account both the patterns and prevalence of technology use and the social conditions that accompany it: the type of activities young people do with technologies, the degree of parental accompaniment, digital skills, and the socioeconomic context in which they live, among others.

"The goal is to offer a framework based on evidence and professional consensus, with practical tools and guidelines, to promote more conscious and healthy use," state the ministry. And, finally, to create public policies "coordinated with other departments of the Generalitat." Although the content of these recommendations has not yet been made public, the deputy director general of Addictions of the Generalitat, Lluïsa Conejos, has expressed support for a consensus among administrations to delay children's contact with social networks and mobile phones and to provide tools to families and educators to prevent the effects associated with screen use. She also highlighted the importance of adults being more aware of their own mobile phone use and being a good role model for children and young people.

In this sense, the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, proposed this Tuesday to ban artificial intelligence (AI) in schools until "the threshold of 14 years of age," as well as to "promote reading" among the new generations. The president stressed that the measures he has put on the table and others that may stem from the new document will be based on "scientific criteria" and will seek "digital well-being." "It means that there are advantages to screens, but there are also significant risks. We must seek balance," added Illa in an interview with RAC1. He also claimed the need to promote reading: "It cannot be that addiction to screens means that the boys and girls of our country do not have contact with Mercè Rodoreda, Joanot Martorell, Miguel de Cervantes or Ramon Llull," he said.

Usage patterns from 14 to 18 years old

Conejos recalled that 99% of adults and 82.4% of the population between 0 and 20 years old have a mobile phone. In primary education, 51.6% of children have one, but the figure rises to practically all secondary school students (92.9%). The age of access to the first mobile phone in Catalonia is 10.8 years, and 92.5% have at least one profile on social media. Three out of four (75.8%) have three or more. Conejos pointed out the importance of delaying access to this technology because, by having a mobile phone, many boys and girls access social media when they still do not have the capacity to "discriminate and discern". "Individual responsibility is not enough; we must generate an environment in society as a whole that encourages the correct use of screens," agreed President Illa.

Data from the 2025 Survey on Drug Use in Secondary Education in Spain (Estudes) also confirm that Catalan students aged 14 to 18 spend an average of 4.8 hours a day connected to the internet for leisure during the week, a figure that rises to 6.7 hours a day during the weekend. Currently, nearly one in four students (23%) exhibits possible compulsive internet use, an indicator calculated based on the frequency with which they experience symptoms such as sleeping less or wanting to spend less time with others to stay connected. In fact, one-third of young people aged 14 to 18 present possible problematic social media use.

What about video games? Usage is almost universal among boys (97%), while among girls it is 72.8%. The differences also become evident in playtime: one in two boys spends more than two hours a day on them, compared to one in seven girls. 10.7% of boys and 2.2% of girls show signs of a possible gaming disorder, according to diagnostic criteria.

Irreversible effects?

In the educational field, mobile phones and smartwatches are prohibited: from this academic year, no student can use a mobile phone either at school or at the high school. However, the educational effects can already be observed, according to Conejos, who has also admitted that the excess of screens could be related to the poor results of the PISA report. "Adolescents with low scores in these assessments surely come from previous backgrounds in childhood where learning has not been as rich as it should have been and where the use of screens has also had a presence", he anticipated.

But the authorities consider that, until now, the debate about screens has focused mainly on the risks to educational quality and less on the consequences for the health of younger users. Conejos has also explained that there are "irreversible" effects, especially referring to the impacts that occur during early childhood and especially in the first years of life. He gave as an example the bond between parents and children: if adults are "not very present" or, even, "connected to their own screens", the impact on the little ones can be "irreparable".