Manfred Spitzer (born 27 May 1958) is a German neuroscientist, psychiatrist and author.

[1][2] After his Abitur at the Max-Planck-Gymnasium in Groß-Umstadt, he studied medicine, philosophy and psychology at the University of Freiburg.

[3] Spitzer is the publisher of the trade journal Nervenheilkunde[4] and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Stiftung Louisenlund.

[5] He has a controversial opinion on smartphones, saying that they make children "krank" ("ill"), "dumm" ("stupid") and "süchtig" ("addicted") and should only be allowed without supervision from age 18.

[6] Some scientists disagree with that and say that these devices are very important in today's world, arguing that they can be very useful and children have to learn how to use them responsibly as early as possible.