The Italian Society of Pediatrics (SIP) has presented stricter guidelines to protect children and adolescents from early digital exposure. According to experts, postponing the use of a personal smartphone until at least 13 years of age and postponing social media until 18 years of age represents a direct investment in the cognitive and relational health of younger people. The indications also include the need to avoid screens during meals, before bed and in the absence of adult supervision.
Why pediatricians are sounding the alarm
During the States General of Pediatrics 2025, the SIP illustrated the reasons for the growing concern: in recent years the entry of digital into daily life has become so early and massive as to alter biological rhythms and growth processes. Excess screen time, especially before the age of 13, is linked to language delays, decreased attention span, sleep disturbances and a greater risk of emotional isolation. Every hour taken away from play, sport and real interactions – explain paediatricians – contributes to progressive experiential poverty.
The effects on physical and cognitive health
Among the most obvious risks cited by specialists are overweight and obesity, aggravated by a sedentary lifestyle and by the food marketing that populates the digital world. Some research shows that more than two hours of screen time a day significantly increases the likelihood of developing obesity in adolescence. On a neurological level, neuroimaging studies have detected changes in the areas of the brain involved in attention, learning and comprehension, signaling a direct impact on cognitive development.
Sleep, anxiety and digital addictions
Added to all this is the fact that 89% of teenagers sleep with their smartphone in their room, a habit that promotes chronic sleep deprivation, irritability and poor concentration. Intensive use of devices is also linked to anxiety, low self-esteem, depressive symptoms and the growing spread of digital addictions: from compulsive gaming to problematic smartphone use, which affects up to one in five young people.
Sight, cyberbullying and online sexuality
SIP also reports an increase in visual fatigue, dry eyes and early myopia, linked to reduced exposure to natural light. Episodes of cyberbullying are increasing, with a heavy impact on emotional health, and early exposure to online pornography is worrying, as it can negatively influence the perception of sexuality and increase risky behaviour. Pediatricians agree: every year earned without digital is an investment in the emotional, cognitive and relational future of children.
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