Chema Vera: "Banning screens? Kids are asking for more."

BarcelonaUNICEF has conducted a survey of 100,000 participants across Spain, providing a clear picture of young people's concerns regarding screen time. One clear conclusion emerges: they, too, are worried and want to talk about it. Chema Vera, UNICEF's director in Spain, explains this in this interview.

How do we resolve the tension between avoiding a digital divide and, at the same time, protecting children from the dangers of screens?

— This is the key question because it's necessary to set limits, but without falling into the trap of disconnection. Because that means losing all the opportunities that exist in the educational sphere, in terms of participation, and in connecting with others. That's why we believe the solution is a combination of limits, regulation, and dialogue among all parties, including the children themselves. Because let's remember that they too are concerned, as revealed in the survey.

Will the solution come primarily through money or regulation?

— I believe more in regulation than in money, although money is needed. It's necessary to invest in children, in the common good, in child protection, and also in the education sector, which is overwhelmed. There isn't enough free time for teachers to train and learn how to address the issue. If we were only talking about child poverty, I would clearly demand the money. But in this area, regulation is more important.

And in what sense, regular?

— Access by minors, above all. Self-regulation by the platforms isn't working, or isn't working well enough. But I would like to mention the relative improvements we've observed compared to the study from five years ago, although it's difficult to pinpoint the reasons, given the many contributing factors. The percentage of boys and girls who accept friend requests from strangers on their social networks has fallen from 57% to 38%. And the percentage of those who meet in person with someone they've only met online with a specific profile has dropped from 22% to 16%. However, we've seen hardly any improvement in access to pornography, nor in the age at which children begin using mobile phones. In any case, the platforms could implement greater child protection measures, but this clashes with their business model.

Any positive response to UNICEF's proposals?

— Not so much in terms of platforms as in terms of operators. MasOrange has launched a secure line that already incorporates all the controls and filters. It's restricted in every way, designed with 12, 13, and 14-year-olds in mind. Is it completely secure? No. Is it much more secure? Yes.

Does UNICEF have a set age at which to receive a first mobile phone?

— There's no fixed position, but we do think 10.8 years seems very early. And if that's an average, it means many people are affected even earlier. In any case, if they used a safe line, if social media platforms acted as they should, if parents had all the necessary preventative conversations... all of this would be better than simply prohibiting. If you only prohibit, it's a poor conversation, and young people are asking for more. They say, "Let's talk, let's see how we can all handle this together."

Does greater economic vulnerability lead to greater digital vulnerability?

— While there is a direct connection in mental health, in this case the correlation isn't as strong. It's a much more widespread problem, although it's clear that if both parents can dedicate more time to their children, it's better than having only one parent working twelve hours a day. Parents also need the necessary time to pursue their own development. But misuse of resources exists at all levels of society.

Are there any countries that manage to pull through?

— Not that I recall. It was precisely at the last meeting of UNICEF directors in high-income countries, where there were 32 of us, that we clearly saw that we are all, in one way or another, deeply involved in this issue.

And what about Catalonia and Spain, how do they stand on the international stage?

— Next year we will have decentralized data broken down by region. But we are aware that Catalonia has taken a step forward in this area and is a pioneer. The disaggregated data will allow us to see if this is statistically significant.

Disinformation is part of what we call hybrid warfare. Does it also affect children?

— If we focus strictly on children, probably not, and the most dangerous thing is access to pornography. But with teenagers, we do see a very harsh effect; because if social media polarizes those of us in our sixties, despite having other sources of information and trained critical thinking, imagine what it's like for young people who only have social media.

Do politicians respond?

— Yes, they respond better to this issue than to others because there's a general awareness. They know it's a harmful issue and therefore needs to be addressed. However, when solutions are reached, there are either more prohibitionists or fewer. Or it gets caught up in the political agenda, and we all know how difficult it is to get anything approved in that country.

Some parties benefit very directly from polarization. It's understandable that they don't want to change the paradigm.

— Yes, in the context of polarization, this is clear. But nowadays it's difficult for a party to oppose supporting families and the educational community. I hope I'm not being naive, but I think it's more possible to make progress on this issue than on others.