Drug Commissioner Streeck Calls for Tiered Age Ratings for Apps - Germany’s Drugs Commissioner Warns of Digital Addiction in Classrooms
Germany's Drugs Commissioner, Hendrik Streeck, has raised concerns about the addictive nature of digital platforms. He uses the example of a child watching Winnie the Pooh videos and being fed more similar content to illustrate this issue. Streeck calls for stricter regulations to protect children and teens from excessive classroom screen time.
Streeck points out that the FSK, Germany's voluntary film and media ratings board, already assigns age ratings for children and adolescents. However, he believes that platforms like Apple's App Store and Google Play have a greater responsibility to reduce risks from addictive design elements in age-rated apps. Streeck argues, 'Children need safe spaces, not endless loops.'
A study by DAK-Gesundheit supports Streeck's concerns. It found that children and teens spend an average of 150 minutes on digital networks on weekdays and 224 minutes on weekends. Streeck emphasizes, 'The issue isn’t the number of minutes—it’s what gets lost along the way.' He demands consistently enforced rules and stronger obligations for platforms to reduce risks of addictive design features. Streeck specifically calls for age-appropriate limits for algorithms that maximize classroom screen time.
Hendrik Streeck, Germany's Drugs Commissioner, has highlighted the potential harm of excessive classroom screen time for children and teens. He urges for stricter regulations and stronger obligations on digital platforms to reduce the risks associated with addictive design features. Streeck's concerns are backed by a study showing significant classroom screen time among young people.
