Editorial: The Guardian

• The principle that some products are only available to adults and not children is uncontroversial.
• Recently, the idea of ​​an age restriction for the sale of smartphones, particularly for under-16s has been under consideration.
• The smartphone is a recent enough innovation, limiting hard conclusions about the effects of its use.
• Evidence shows sudden, steep hikes in mental health problems in the first generation to pass through adolescence in a state of digital saturation.
• Perhaps it's the apps and the content they channel that harm young people, rather than the hardware.
• The state should be cautious about attempts to curtail a social revolution.

Conclusion: The balance of risk seems to favor political action to reinforce boundaries around childhood when it has been invaded and commodified by advances in digital technology.

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