KDH Presents Measures to Protect Children from Negative Effects of Digital World

Bratislava, 10 February (TASR) - Representatives of the opposition Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) held a news conference on Tuesday to present a package of measures aimed at protecting children from the negative effects of digital technologies. KDH is calling for the introduction of a minimum age of 16 for accessing social networks, as well as the implementation of digital addiction screening as part of preventive medical check-ups. According to KDH, Slovak children are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis. The party warned that excessive screen use is directly linked to the growth of aggression, depression, anxiety and attention disorders. "We suggest introducing targeted education for parents during preventive check-ups, no later than in the child's third year of life. At the same time, we propose implementing screening for high-risk behaviour in the eleventh year using questionnaires directly at a paediatric practice. We must identify those adolescents who are most at risk from excessive use of digital technologies on time and offer them and their parents professional support," said MP Peter Stachura (KDH). The need to detect problems in a timely manner is also supported by data taken directly from young people, stemming from a pilot survey of 300 secondary-school students that served as a prototype for the proposed screening, stated KDH. According to its author, student Marcel Kerhat, as many as 75 percent of the surveyed students met criteria indicating a risk of digital addiction associated with anxiety, nervousness or neglect of responsibilities. In addition to establishing an minimum age threshold for social networks in legislation, KDH also proposes measures in the form of systematic support for existing, well-established helplines instead of creating parallel or duplicate solutions. The party further suggests providing systemic support and enhancing the role of school psychologists and school support teams, promoting primary prevention, and building resilience among teachers, educators and students, as well as improving awareness and cooperation among those involved in education and child development. "We want to eliminate at least five bureaucratic redundancies introduced by the latest amendment to the Education Act, and instead implement one useful, concise measure - a student card," explained MP Jan Horecky (KDH). He added that the card should include, for example, information on support measures provided, potential incidents of bullying, or extraordinary events in the child's life. ko/df