The debate about whether children should have unrestricted access to social media has been heating up across Europe in recent months. And Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has recently become quite involved in it, saying in a video on social media on Sunday that he would be in favor of banning their use by children under the age of 15. He is looking for inspiration primarily in France.ancii, where similar legislation has already passed the lower house of parliament.
Babiš bases his position on the opinions of experts with whom he says he is in contact. They are said to consider social networks to be significantly harmful to the psyche and development of children. " We must protect our children ," he said, adding that the protection of the youngest should take precedence over the convenience of adults and technology companies. Interestingly, the ANO movement itself uses social networks extensively, and Babiš publishes videos on them practically every day with comments on current events.
The government is actually considering a ban
The vice-chairman of the ANO movement and deputy prime minister Karel Havlíček went even further, stating on the Partie Terezie Tománková program on CNN Prima News that the government is seriously considering banning social networks for children under 15. If a final decision were made, the government would like to submit a draft law this year. According to Havlíček, negotiations are currently underway not only with experts in child psychology, but also with operators and other entities. According to him, social networks "ruin the lives" of children in many cases.
The Czech Republic would certainly not be a pioneer if the ban were approved. Australia already banned access to social networks for children under 16 last December. Similar steps are being considered or prepared by Denmark, Slovenia, Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom, for example. The European Parliament has also called for a blanket restriction on access to social networks by children and adolescents across the Union.
Andrej Babiš and ANO in general would benefit children the most if they were not in politics.
What will the ban actually solve? Will it ensure that children with today's opportunities will spend time outside on bikes, with a ball, and the like, which is what we did (because we didn't have today's opportunities)? Or will they break the law and be anonymous on social media? Or will a network without restrictions be created? The ban is a stupid thing, education is necessary.,
Abby, correct comment :)
ProThe problem is not the children, the problem is their parents, who don't know what the children are doing, don't spend enough time together and actively with them, and are actually glad that the children are hiding in their rooms and not bothering them...