In 2024, a powerful movement emerged across the globe to protect children from the potential harms of smartphones and social media. With mounting evidence linking excessive screen time to poor mental health, countries around the world are taking bold action to safeguard childhood.

Australia and Florida have taken the lead by passing legislation that bans children from having social media accounts. While enforcement remains to be fully seen, Norway has already pledged to follow suit, highlighting the growing international consensus around this issue.

In Europe, several countries are also experimenting with new approaches. France has introduced a “digital pause” in hundreds of schools, where students must lock away their phones during the school day. The Netherlands has gone even further, implementing a nationwide ban on phones in all schools, with the UK and Ireland also adopting no-phone policies at many educational institutions.

But the movement isn’t limited to schools. In the UK, a growing number of nightclubs are introducing bans on phone cameras on the dancefloor, encouraging people to embrace the lost art of being present in the moment. In France, the owners of a bistro that banned phones reported great success, noting that the decision had “worked brilliantly.”

These initiatives reflect a global shift toward reclaiming our lives from the constant distractions of digital devices, prioritizing human connection, and protecting the mental well-being of future generations.