The Greek government presented on Monday its long-awaited national strategy aiming to protect minors from internet addiction and social media overexposure.
The National Strategy for the Protection of Minors on Internet Addiction was launched during an event at the Athens Conservatory, in the presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Greece stopped short of an outright ban on social media for minors, which the Greek Prime Minister doubted would be effective. Instead, the proposed plan focuses on strengthening parental controls and age verification, and setting time limits for children using their mobile phones.
“It is the image of children glued to a mobile phone who lose touch with the world,” Mitsotakis said during the event. “We discover along the way that they have severe psychological problems—depression, isolation, distraction. It has to do with the dark side of technology.”
Mitsotakis further said that while parents must discuss the issue with their children, the government must also examine its regulatory role. Social media companies, he added, must be held accountable as to how they operate, since the algorithms they are using are designed to maximize the screen time of those using their apps.
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