Raskin bill in the US would study effects of technology on kids

The average child receives their own smartphone around the age of 10, and 98% of children under the age of 8 use mobile devices at home, according to statistics provided by Raskin's office in support of the bill. — AFP

As Facebook executives face questions from senators about efforts to market their products to children and the impact they can have, US Rep. Jamie Raskin is sponsoring a bill that would fund research into the effects of technology on children and public health.

Raskin (D-Md.-8th) is among the sponsors of the Children and Media Research Advancement Act, which would authorise the National Institutes of Health to conduct comprehensive research on technology and media's effects on the cognitive, physical and socio-emotional development of children, from infants to adolescents.