Catalonia details youth screen risks as government prepares digital health guide

Health risks across developmental stages

A preliminary diagnostic report prepared by the Generalitat de Catalunya identifies physical and psychological risks linked to screen use among minors. The document reviews between 650 and 700 international scientific references to assess digital health determinants across age groups. For children between birth and six years of age, researchers report that screen exposure can cause motor and speech development delays, altered perception of reality, sleep disruptions, and reduced face-to-face interaction. For pupils aged seven to eleven, the report associates device access with increased risks of myopia, excess weight, tooth decay, learning interference, and emotional distress. Older adolescents face further risks, including reduced attention spans, exposure to digital violence, and diminished personal privacy.

In this stage it is very important to work on the real relationship between parents and children beyond screens... The consequences not only affect you in this stage, but you carry them with you like a backpack for the rest of your life.

Smartphone and social media access rates

Device availability expands rapidly as children transition from primary education into secondary schooling. In Catalonia, 51.6% of primary school students possess a mobile phone, a figure that reaches 92.8% among secondary students in compulsory education. The average age at which youth between ten and twenty years old acquire their first smartphone is 10.8 years. Overall, 82.4% of young people own a mobile device, including 83.4% of girls and 81.7% of boys. Among secondary students with phones, 92.5% maintain at least one social media profile, and 75.8% manage three or more profiles. Broader regional data from Idescat indicates that 99% of residents aged 16 to 74 possess an electronic device, with 96% using one on a weekly basis.

Screen time and behavioural patterns

Leisure internet consumption reaches multiple hours per day among Catalan adolescents aged 14 to 18. Students in this age group spend an average of 4.8 hours online during weekdays, increasing to 6.7 hours per day on weekends. Approximately 34% of these students exhibit indicators of problematic social media use, characterized by loss of control, persistent browsing, and distress when disconnected. Findings from the Estudes 2025 survey in Catalonia record that nearly one in four students in this cohort shows patterns of compulsive internet use, including reduced sleep. Video gaming engages 84.9% of secondary students, comprising 97% of boys and 72.8% of girls. Signs of video game addiction affect 10.7% of boys compared to 2.2% of girls.

Forthcoming government measures

Following this diagnostic baseline, departments across the Catalan government will present formal measures to promote digital well-being and reduce problematic screen habits. The initiative seeks to build practical guidelines for families, schools, and health professionals rather than leaving usage norms to industry design. Health officials noted that interventions will balance health protection with technological literacy.

We must prevent problems, but taking into account the opportunities that the digital environment offers us.

The final guidelines will define practical protocols across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.