The Drug Commissioner of the Federal Government, Marlene Mortler (CSU), calls for cell phone abandonment in the families over the Christmas holidays. „We know for sure: Too much of a smartphone and the like is detrimental to health and family life – 100,000 children and adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 are considered dependent,“ said the CSU politician to the Editorial Network Germany (RND). „So use the holidays together, go out and enjoy the Christmas dinner without cell phones at the table.“
Media are not there to keep the children quiet and to park them. „Be yourself a role model and switch off together simply relaxed, for the sake of health and the family,“ continues Mortler.
„Without clear rules it just does not work“
The drug commissioner said that this year many parents would put their children tablets, game consoles and smartphones under the tree. „All is well and good, but important from the beginning are clear rules for the kids, without which it just is not,“ said Mortler.
She asked for the tips she had developed with the Association of Paediatricians: „They give parents guidance and clarify questions like: how much is my child allowed to surf, chat or play? At what age should it be dealing with digital media at all? „
