The National Institute of Public Health (INSP) and the County Public Health Directorates are launching a national information, education and awareness campaign aimed at promoting mental health, an initiative described as essential to addressing the escalating challenges generated by the problematic use of the digital environment.
Running from January to February under the slogan "Be aware! Life lived online has offline consequences!", the campaign seeks to raise public awareness and issue a direct call to action against dependence on digital technologies, given their growing impact on mental health and wellbeing, with children and young people being the most affected.
Another objective of the campaign is to promote preventive behaviours for mental health and encourage the public to invest in offline alternatives to screen-based entertainment, the National Institute of Public Health noted on its website on Thursday.
"Recent trends confirm a worrying link between excessive screen time and the deterioration of mental health indicators, especially among children and young people," the institute's specialists emphasised.
According to the World Health Organization, nearly one billion people worldwide have experienced a mental disorder, and one in seven adolescents aged 10 to 19 lives with a diagnosed mental health condition.
"The seriousness of the situation is reflected in the fact that mental disorders such as depression and anxiety are a major cause of illness and disability among young people. Moreover, the data are alarming from a safety perspective: globally, suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 29," the cited source said.
According to the EU Mental Health Strategy, before the pandemic one in six Europeans suffered from such problems. Data from 2024 indicate that this burden has worsened, requiring a comprehensive approach to mental health. As a result, initiatives have been included to promote digital wellbeing and help young people develop healthy online habits, following a growing body of studies documenting that many adolescents have become dependent on social media platforms, often to the detriment of their mental health.
At national level, statistics show that more than 22,000 children and adolescents in Romania have been registered with mental health disorders, and the incidence of depression and anxiety among the 7-18 age group has shown a steady increase.
"A study conducted by UNICEF Romania in 2025 among adolescents, along with the ongoing reports of Save the Children Romania, confirmed a strong association between excessive screen time and a decline in wellbeing, with the emergence of emotional imbalances. Moreover, the findings point to an increased risk of anxiety and depression among children and young people, as well as reduced face-to-face communication. Technology thus becomes both a resource and a risk factor, which is why balanced and guided use of digital tools remains essential for improving access to education and high-quality learning resources, while strengthening future skills," the National Institute of Public Health informs.
Through partnerships between educational institutions and organisations and communities of psychologists, guidelines and workshops can be developed in schools, helping to transform compulsive habits into conscious choices.
The WHO Regional Office for Europe recommends eight priority actions to promote and protect the mental health and wellbeing of young people in digital environments and to mitigate potential harm linked to social media, artificial intelligence and other digital technologies, the most critical of which include: regulating platform design to limit features intended to be addictive and harmful, holding industry and commercial interests accountable, making digital wellbeing a national public health priority, investing in offline alternatives to screen-based entertainment.
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