Health wants to discuss the effects of smartphones on young people – 10/10/2023 – Health

The Ministry of Health opens a public consultation this Tuesday (10) to hear from society about strategies for the conscious use of screens and digital devices by children and adolescents.

According to recent scientific studies, the excessive use of electronic devices such as smartphones by young people in this age group poses health risks, in addition to increasing the risk of victimization and abuse, including sexual abuse.

A Sheet showed how platforms like Discord have become a “lawless land”, with sexual abuse and assaults involving young people.

There is, however, no specific government guidance on this topic in the country.

The health department’s proposal is precisely to use the information collected during the public consultation to draw up specific guidelines, with the formulation of an official guide for the conscious use of digital devices, taking as a starting point the diagnosis that fathers, mothers, family members, responsible for children and young people and education professionals present, with evidence-based guidance, helping to deal with the new reality of abusive use of screens and electronics by children and adolescents.

The public consultation will be available on the Participa.br platform for a period of 45 days from the launch date, this Tuesday (10). Families, educators, users of digital services and devices, civil society organizations and the private sector will be heard.

The preparation of the guide will be based on the input collected in the consultation, with the help of a working group of experts on the subject, and should take place throughout 2024.

The initiative is a joint initiative between the Digital Policies Secretariat of Secom/PR (Communication Secretariat of the Presidency) and the ministries of Health, Education, Justice and Public Security, Human Rights and Citizenship and Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight Hunger.