MJRM SEVILLA, 9 (EUROPA PRESS)
The Ministry of Social Inclusion, Youth, Families and Equality collaborates with the Royal Academy of Medicine and Surgery of Seville and the Royal and Illustrious Official College of Physicians of Seville in the organization of a participatory professional meeting that, under the motto ‘Use of digital technology in childhood’ will analyze the advantages of this phenomenon from a rational use, as well as its negative impact on the child and adolescent population.
As indicated by the Board in a press release, Martín Navarro Merino, professor of Paediatrics at the University of Seville and member of the organization of the meeting, has stated that “it is an issue for which measures must be taken from various social spheres, such as family or school”.
“A problem that affects many families today. For this reason, this meeting is intended not only for professionals in the field of Medicine, but also for fathers, mothers and educators”, he added.
According to doctors Francisco J. Rivera de los Santos and Martín Navarro Merino himself, in Andalusia, according to Unicef data and following interviewing 2,228 adolescents aged 11 to 18, the average age of first mobile use is 10.63 years , having 95% of these adolescents access to the internet through it.
In addition, according to the data provided, six out of ten Andalusian adolescents sleep with their mobile phones and one in four connects at night. Almost all of the Andalusian adolescents studied (99.2%) have a profile on at least one social network and four out of 10 are connected so as not to feel alone.
In this regard, Martín Navarro has highlighted that “the acquisition of knowledge and as a basis for a professional and work future is of great importance for the minor’s own training at the height of current times”.
However, he explained that “the great negative impact that uncontrolled and excessive use has on children has repercussions on the family, socio-educational and health environment”. For this reason, the meeting also addresses the educational and protection mechanisms for children in this area.
In Andalusia, the new Law on Childhood and Adolescence supposes a “strengthening” in the protection of minors and the adaptation to the new realities in which they are immersed. It is a “pioneering” law that makes Andalusia a “reference” in terms of the protection and prevention of children, for example, in terms of addictions and technological harassment, the Board has pointed out.
Thus, this standard adapts to the new social realities of the 21st century, recognizing the virtual and interactive reality in which minors now grow up and promoting and promoting digital and media literacy. Among its objectives, it contemplates that the Internet is a safe environment for children and, for this, it is essential that the Administrations be able to prevent and detect possible alterations, disorders and crimes or situations such as bullying, the consumption of pornography, violent behavior or harassment in social networks.
SCHEDULE OF THE MEETING
The first presentation will be given by the professor of the Department of Psychology at the University of Córdoba, José Antonio Casas Bolaños, who will present the ‘Advantages and rational use of digital technology in childhood’. Next, it will be the turn of the professor of the Methodology Area of Behavioral Sciences of the University of Seville who will make his intervention under the title ‘Impact of digital technology on the child and adolescent population’.
For her part, Rosario del Rey Alamillo, Professor of Developmental Psychology at the Faculty of Education of the University of Seville, will present her paper ‘Educational and protection mechanisms for children in the digital environment’. And, finally, the meeting will be closed by Eva Aurín Pardo, Digitalization manager of the health and e-health vertical at Telefónica Spain, with ‘Present and future of digital technology’. At the conclusion of the presentations, a participatory debate will be held on the topics discussed and to be able to specify conclusions.
The participatory professional meeting ‘Use of digital technology in childhood’ will take place next Thursday, October 27, in the Assembly Hall of the Royal and Illustrious Official College of Physicians of Seville (Avenida de la Borbolla, 47. Seville) from 5:00 p.m. Free entrance.