State Secretary in the Ministry of Interior Raed Arafat, head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), believes that social networks represent a high risk for children and adolescents and says that it is time for parliamentarians to assume responsibility for initiating a legislative framework that would limit access to these online platforms for those under 15-16 years old.
In a post made on his Facebook account on Saturday, Raed Arafat says that he has reflected on this topic "especially after the latest extremely serious events that had children and adolescents as the main actors."
"Wouldn't now be the right time for Romania to take a courageous and responsible step and join the states that are discussing or have already decided to limit children and adolescents' access to social networks? States such as France, Australia, the United Kingdom or Norway are already treating this issue as what it really is: a public health and child and adolescent protection issue, not an ideological debate," Arafat writes.
He believes that it is not about censorship, but about protecting the mental health of children and adolescents. Just as minors are not allowed access to tobacco, alcohol, gambling or films intended for adults, social networks should be considered harmful to children, the head of the DSU points out, Agerpres informs.
The Secretary of State emphasizes that "these platforms rely on sophisticated manipulation mechanisms, built to capture attention and generate addiction."
"A child or adolescent does not yet have the neurological and emotional maturity necessary to defend themselves against algorithms deliberately designed to exploit vulnerabilities," says Arafat, who also says that social networks have become a favorable space for cyberbullying, public humiliation and stigmatization, constant social pressure, toxic comparison and artificial validation.
The head of the DSU also believes that leaving the problem solely to parents "is no longer enough in a world dominated by global platforms and huge commercial interests."
"When the risk is systemic, the response must be one of public policy. (...) Therefore, it is time for Romanian parliamentarians to assume this responsibility and initiate a clear legislative framework that would limit the access of children and adolescents under 15-16 years of age to social networks. It is not a measure against technology, but an investment in the health, balance and future of young generations," Raed Arafat also wrote
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