po polsku
illustration: DALL-EShe believes society must recognize that children and teenagers are especially vulnerable. Lembke called for smartphones to be removed from schools, especially in early education. She argued that kids should have space to learn and grow without distractions, and teachers should be free to teach. According to her, a phone in a child’s pocket acts like a “digital drug.”
Families, she said, should delay giving children personal devices and use basic phones instead. Monitoring online activity is key. But individual responsibility isn’t enough — Lembke called for systemic action. She proposed age verification laws, algorithm changes, and less addictive app design. Not everything will work, she admitted, but doing nothing isn’t an option.
Lembke also explained that the way societies frame addiction matters. If people treat it as a brain disease, those affected are less stigmatized and more likely to seek help. In contrast, when addiction is shamed, individuals hide their problems and avoid treatment.
She pointed out that China was the first to officially recognize gaming disorder. Chinese authorities classified it under the WHO and launched dedicated treatment centers. The U.S., by comparison, has been slower to address digital addiction, though it leads in treating substance abuse.
Lembke said it`s hard to know how many people will develop media-related addictions, but she estimates it could affect 10 to 20 percent of the population - similar to drug and alcohol addiction rates. She also observed that modern life exposes people to more addictive stimuli than ever: processed food is engineered to be irresistible, social media manipulates social rewards, and even shopping and gaming have become more stimulating.
As technology becomes more immersive, she said, people need to understand the risks. Most will self-regulate, but some won`t. Lembke urged society to act before the damage spreads further.
***
Based on an interview with Anna Lembke for PAP Polska Agencja Prasowa (Nauka w Polsce)
COMMERCIAL BREAK
New articles in section Media industry
Freelancers 2025 in media and advertising. Useme report
Krzysztof Fiedorek
The modern media and communication market presents entirely new challenges for independent creators. Traditional services are giving way to more complex forms of messaging. The most popular industries in which Polish freelancers operate focus on companies' online presence and visual content.
Video content in Poland. What and how we watch
Paweł Sobczak
Video content is watched remotely, but streaming services are mainly enjoyed in the comfort of home. This is how the consumption of audiovisual content by Poles in 2025 can be summarized. This is the result of an analysis of a study conducted by SW Research and data from the company MEGOGO.
How artificial intelligence misrepresents the news. PBC analysis
Sylwia Markowska
In news summaries generated by the most popular models in Polish, as many as 46% of responses contained at least one significant error, 27% had serious issues with sources (missing, misleading, or incorrect), and 19% contained hallucinations and outdated information.
See articles on a similar topic:
Books, e-books and audiobooks about the media and for journalists [LINK]
AUTOPROMOCJA Reporterzy.info
Thanks to cooperation with the Amazon, we may suggest you wide offer of great reading opportunity. Studies on the history and media market, interviews, reports and photo guides. Ordering and delivering a book now only takes a few moments. We invite you for a good lecture!
Journalism in the age of AI. Why people prefer humans over machines
Krzysztof Fiedorek
Only 12% of people accept news created solely by AI, while 62% prefer those written by humans. At the same time, only 19% notice labels indicating the use of artificial intelligence, while younger audiences ask AI to explain the content to them. These are the findings of the Reuters Institute report on artificial intelligence in media.
Radio Fanatics. Who Listens for One-Third of the Day?
Bartłomiej Dwornik
One in five listeners now spends over 8 hours daily listening to the radio, according to data from the Radio Track study. Since the beginning of the year, the number of these avid listeners has grown by 300,000.
Mobile games in Poland. Market value and forecasts
Newseria, KFi
In 2030, the number of mobile game users in Poland may exceed 7.1 million, and market revenue will approach 470 million dollars, according to Statista data. As the number of gamers increases, the market for mobile gaming devices is also expanding.
