Smartphones alone are not to blame for the problem. There are several aspects that, taken together, pose huge challenges for schools, parents and children.<p>Parents have less time for their children. This is understandable when both parents in many families work. The workload on parents rise as our social nets go thinner because its easier than ever to move your home. We are building roads everywhere in our neighborhoods and are converting grassland into apartments. Parents are themselves dependent on digital consumption. Many activities (learning, homework, class chat, music), as well as play (Minecraft, Roblox, Fortnite, ...) are migrating to the digital world. And the teaching profession is no longer as respected as it once was, and they are also overwhelmed by the situation, as they are not familiar with the use of media themselves and expectations are high.<p>A problem like this is difficult to solve, especially as nobody really knows what is right.<p>A ban on digital media up to middle school must come from the government. But for that to happen, the level of suffering has to be high enough. At school, the path must lead back to normal PC/desktop lessons, away from consumer-oriented devices. And we need to give children space. Allow them to gather in our streets and squares to play again. And we as parents need to set an example and not be addicted to smartphones ourselves.