Adolescents who are connected to their smartphone for more than five hours a day are 66% more likely to suffer suicidal symptoms than those who use it for one hour a day. 44 US states are currently suing Meta, blaming it for the malaise of an entire generation. Faced with powerful tech giants like Meta, Tiktok, Snapchat, X and Discord, how can we protect children and their childhood?
For the first time in history, state legislators and parents in the US and Europe are joining forces to fight these digital giants. Among them are five women who have chosen to turn their daily lives upside down to fight back against the Big 5: Alexis, Elisabet, Sofia, Laure and Socheata.
They are victims, mothers, doctors and lawyers. They’re all behind a movement to change the destiny of future generations. Alexis, a victim of screen addiction, was among the first to take Meta to court, accusing it of “inciting suicide”. Elisabet is a mother of three. In just a few days, over 10,000 parents joined her WhatsApp group to fight for a “phone-free youth”. As a result, the state has banned smartphones in schools. Sofia is a psychiatrist and pioneer in the treatment of screen addiction in children, some as young as seven. Socheata has been involved in the fight ever since her son was manipulated by an internet predator. She has joined an organisation that works alongside cybercrime police officers to track down paedophiles. Laure is a lawyer determined to change the laws that protect the Big 5.
Through the struggles of these women, we will discover that digital control is a major public health and safety issue that goes well beyond what we imagine.