India, April 13 -- How realistic is the idea of banning smartphone and social media use for children if you want to rein in their use of technology? If experts in The British Medical Journal (BMJ) study published recently are to be believed, it is a bad idea in the long run.

The experts argue that banning smartphone and social media access alone will fail to equip children for healthy use of technology even though bans on smartphone and social media access have been advocated in many countries to protect children from harm despite lack of evidence on their effects.

Instead, they say, the focus should shift to a rights-based approach, underpinned by age- appropriate design and education, that protects children from harm while developing ...