26/06/2026
The Child Neurology Society, Philippines (CNSP) is one with the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) in the recommendation that children 16 years of age and below should not be allowed unsupervised and independent social media access.
This is consistent with the existing neurologic and neurodevelopmental evidence that excessive screen use is linked to several negative behavioral and cognitive impacts in children.
We, the CNSP continue to uphold that brain health IS mental health.
Screen time impacts brain development depending heavily on the quality of content, how it is used, and the age of the user. Despite being marketed to have advantages for education, communication and connectivity, children require continued guidance, and protection from the many unintended disadvantages and negative consequences of unsupervised, independent screentime and use of social media.
There is increasing evidence that indicate neurobiological risks of excessive screen time in the pediatric population. In infants and young children, screentime use is associated with language delays, shorter attention spans, reduced white matter development and disrupted neurotransmitter release. In older children, a vast array of psychological consequences is observed with increased usage and dependence on screen time.
While children and adolescents are among the most vulnerable to be influenced by digital media use, we believe that it is a shared responsibility among families, schools, health professionals, platform developers, and policymakers to protect all children from the harms of unregulated digital exposure.
