Catherine Vautrin no longer wants children under 3 to be exposed to screens

In an interview with the French Journal de l'Etudes Politiques (JDD) on Sunday, Minister of Health and Solidarity Catherine Vautrin promised to "ban screen time for the youngest children, from birth to the age of three," even though she agreed that this "idea" requires a paradigm shift for society as a whole.

This ban will have to apply "everywhere, including at home," even though the authorities "will not be in people's homes to verify it," Catherine Vautrin explains. It's a way "to instill the idea that this is not done," the minister explains, drawing a parallel with "the ban on spanking."

"The police did not go to the homes to check whether the ban was being enforced, but the fact of proclaiming it ended up entrenching the idea that you do not hit a child, even with a light spanking." However, the minister plans to publish "in the next few weeks a decree banning screens in places where children under three are cared for."

"Professionals are already highly aware of the impact of screens on young children. They have contributed to the development of a framework on the quality of childcare, which already mentions this ban, and this will give them an even stronger basis for advising parents," explained Catherine Vautrin.

Information will also be sent to parents via the Family Allowance Fund and the Health Insurance Fund, with details included in their health record and maternity record, she said.

The health record, which came into effect on January 1, stipulates "no screens before the age of three," and recommends "occasional use, limited to educational content and accompanied by an adult" between "ages three and six." The government will also conduct "communication campaigns so that no one can tell us, 'I didn't know.'"

At the end of April, a report published by health experts called for a "collective awareness" of the harmful effects of screens on young people, in whom exposure to tablets, television, computers, telephones, and video games "lastingly impairs health and intellectual abilities."

In April 2024, a commission of experts submitted a report to President Emmanuel Macron with a series of recommendations, including that children under three should not be exposed to screens.