Paris, 17 April 2026 (dpa/MIA) - Children should switch off their devices and spend a day each month offline, French President Emmanuel Macron has said.

On that day, they should read, write, act in plays, spend time with others and build something together, Macron told students in Villers-Cotterêts on Thursday.

Macron, who has pushed for a ban on social media for children under the age of 15, said that social media was stealing attention from the younger generation.

"We left you in this jungle and it robbed you of your attention," Macron told the students.

"We need to slow down and help you become adults, and above all, citizens."

A proposed ban on social media for children is being debated in France's upper house of parliament, the Senate.

Macron has pushed for the measure to take effect as early as the next school year in September, citing concerns over the impact of screen time on education and mental health among young people.

A blanket ban was approved by the lower house, the National Assembly, in January, but a Senate committee raised legal concerns about such a sweeping restriction.

MIA file photo