The Netherlands government said on Tuesday that children under 15 years of age should not have access to social networks like Tiktok and Instagram.
In the new guidelines, which parents need to assist in time-spent in the screen and using applications, the Dutch authorities state that children older than 13 years can begin to learn how to use “social interaction” such as whatsappa and signals.
However, when it comes to social networks, they recommend that with the use of wait until 15. years.
The Netherlands is one of several EU member states that take steps to protect the mental health and development of minors in digital space. French President Emmanuel Macron has already advocated a minimum age of 15 years for the use of social networks, while Greece and Spain support stricter regulations.
The European Commission previously published its own guidelines on the protection of juveniles on the Internet, but more Union members expresses dissatisfaction with the implementation of the EU level.
The Dutch guidelines states that the message exchange applications have a “positive role” in the development of the social identity of children older than 12 years, providing them with the space for expressing and connecting to peers.
It is also recommended to gradually restrict the time in front of the screen – starting half an hour a day for children from 2 to 4 years, all up to three hours a day for children older than 12 years.
Parents and educators are advised to develop healthy accessories to use the screen – to dispose of phones and exclude notifications when they are with children.
The Netherlands Parliament requested the development of these guidelines in February.
(Vijesti.ba)
