The use of social networks and cell phones has become normal in Europe, not only for adults, but also for the little ones. Although many experts indicate that it is not advisable for minors to be heavily exposed to screens at all times, the reality is that It is normal for 12 year old children to already have their own smartphone. In some countries, the idea of banning the sale of cell phones to children under 16 has even been explored.
This means that exposure to social media occurs at a time when they do not yet have the ability to understand what they are seeing, which can harm their mental health, which has happened especially since the pandemic . This is why The Spanish government is working on a series of measures They will try to mitigate this.
The Ministry of Youth and Children presented to the Council of Ministers an independent report created by a group of experts on safe digital environments for children and adolescents. It details down to 107 measures aimed at guaranteeing minors regulated access to the Internetwhile preserving their rights and without losing sight of the best interests of children.
One of the most striking measures is that which will require digital platforms to be able to verify the identity of their usersso that this does not happen like today, when children under 16 can use platforms like Instagram or WhatsApp which, in theory, are designed to be used beyond this age limit.
Emphasis will also be placed on regulate the use of screens in children under three years oldas well as in their use in educational environments. And the part corresponding to the parents was not left aside, seeking regulate the sharing, i.e. sharing images of children by their parents or direct family members, something very normal but which has its problems.
Boy using a tablet
Unsplash
The importance of training is also emphasizednot only for minors, but also for families. In many cases, it is the negligence of adults that pushes minors to spend too much time using screens, in addition to doing so in services that are not designed for them.
The intention of the ministry is to be able even integrate monitoring and sanctions mechanisms to sanction companies, institutions or individuals who do not comply with these regulations. All this will be developed at state level and aims to create a regulatory framework that is an international reference since these problems do not only occur in Europe.
Por el momento lo presentado es un informe y ahora queda desarrollar todo un marco regulatorio y luego lograr que pase por el congreso y sea aceptado por la mayoría de la cámara, donde podría verse modificado e incluso no aprobado. Pese a todo, parece que este tema es una preocupación transversal y podría lograr cierto consenso a nivel nacional.
