Health and care

22/03/2024 - 10:38

Health. The plan includes 51 actions for preventing premature access to and excessive use of technologies, plus the prevention of access to unsuitable content.

New government measures to improve the welfare of children and young people in connection with technologies. The plan has a budget of 6 million euros and includes 51 steps to prevent premature and excessive access to screens and the addictions they can generate, as well as the prevention of access to unsuitable content and risk behaviour.

Some 47% of children in the city between the ages of 10 and 11 have a mobile phone with an internet connection. Of these, 42% have no limits on the time they spend using devices and 75% affirm it would be difficult for them to stop using their mobiles. Among teenagers, three out of four state they have no time limits on the use of their mobile.

These figures, along with concerns over the harmful effects caused by the inappropriate use of technology, such as cognitive disruptions, bad eating habits, mental health problems or the risk of suffering addictions to mobile devices, have led to a participatory process through the Mental Health Board to work on the government measure on digital welfare.

The action plan has 51 proposals over the next four years, including the creation of a digital reference figures for community and education, prevention workshops on the safe use of technology among children, teenagers and families, the  strengthening of healthy leisure programme, the promotion of phone-free spaces in municipal facilities and the promotion of the Drug Guidance Service for support, assistance and orientation for teenagers and young people up to the age of 21 who make excessive use of technologies.