More than 1,400 doctors, scientists and health experts have signed an open letter calling on Dutch politicians to introduce legal age restrictions for smartphones and social media use by children.

In the letter, the signatories recommend that children should not be given their own smartphones before the age of 14 and should be barred from using social media until they are at least 16.

The appeal reflects growing concern among medical professionals about the impact of early smartphone use on children’s physical and mental health.

The initiative comes from Smartphonevrij Opgroeien (grow up free of smartphones), a parents’ group that has long advocated for age-based restrictions on children’s phone and media use. The group called on medical professionals to support the open letter.

“Given the intense use of smartphones and social media among young people, the clear physical health effects, signs of mental harm, and the lack of a structurally safe and appropriate digital environment, it is time to reconsider the social norm,” Smartphonevrij Opgroeien the letter said.

The debate around smartphones and children’s wellbeing has intensified in the Netherlands in recent years.

Since September 2023, mobile phones have been officially banned in classrooms across the Netherlands, although schools can decide how the rules are applied. Exceptions are allowed, for example, for pupils who need their phone for medical reasons.

A survey by teaching union Aob a year after the ban was introduced showed teachers were happy with the results so far, saying pupils are talking to each other more and are better able to concentrate. They are also better behaved to teachers and each other.

The Netherlands is not alone in confronting the issue. Since late 2024, Australia has enforced a national ban on social media use for children under 16 — the first country in the world to introduce such a measure.

Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and Snapchat are required to verify users’ ages and can face heavy fines if they fail to keep underage users off their services.

Similar proposals are being discussed in other countries, including Norway.