More than half of fifth and sixth grade Primary students in the Balearic Islands have their own mobile phone. This is one of the main conclusions of the report Childhood, Adolescence and Digital Well-being in the Balearic Islands, which also reveals that one in three minors has seen pornography online and that 14.1% show clear symptoms of emotional distress.

The Parents' Associations of the primary schools of Pla and IES Sineu have taken a step forward to curb the early use of digital devices among the youngest. According to the digital magazine Díngola, the entities have agreed on a collective commitment document for parents to voluntarily agree not to give smartphones to their children at least until the second year of ESO.

It's two in the afternoon. In Plaça del Tub, in the center of Palma, hundreds of students leave the Ramon Llull and Joan Alcover high schools almost simultaneously. It's a moment that repeats itself every day and has become a ritual. Since the Ministry of Education banned the use of mobile phones inside schools, many young people carry them hidden in their backpacks and, as soon as they cross the threshold, they hurriedly turn them on. In a few seconds, their eyes are glued to the screen to check the dozens—or hundreds—of pending notifications. They walk in groups, but with their phones in hand and their eyes glued to their devices. Perhaps, in a few weeks, this scene might cease to be so common.

The Government views favorably the proposal of the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, to prohibit access to social networks for minors under 16 years of ageAccording to a statement made this Tuesday by the Minister of Education and Universities, Antoni Vera, the government is committed to implementing a ban on mobile phones on screens in the Balearic Islands. Vera emphasized the importance of establishing clear mechanisms for the measure to be effectively applied in the islands. He stated that he was "in complete agreement" with the measure and reiterated the government's hope that the situation would not repeat itself, as with the mobile phone ban, which was left to regional regulations after its national approval, and which the Balearic Islands had ultimately implemented through a specific order. The minister explained that the government wants to see how the new legal proposal will be processed and implemented, as well as how it can be applied in the islands, stressing the importance of having clear mechanisms for its implementation within the territory.

She also highlighted other initiatives already implemented in the Balearic Islands along these lines, such as the ban on digital screens up to the fourth grade of primary school and the launch of an awareness campaign for families about the risks of the "harmful overuse" of digital devices, which will be rolled out in the coming months. Despite her positive assessment, Vera considered the announcement to be "just another smokescreen" by President Sánchez, since the People's Party had already submitted an amendment to the law on the protection of minors in digital environments to propose a similar ban. Sánchez made the announcement during his speech at the World Government Summit in Dubai, where he indicated that the government will approve the measure next week in the Council of Ministers. The proposal includes, among other things, requiring platforms to implement effective age verification systems and creating a tracking and tracing system to combat hateful and illegal content. It will also address potential legal violations by platforms such as Grok, TikTok, and Instagram.

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I'm hesitant to write about it. I'm not sure where this thread I want to pull will lead me: whether it will unravel everything or if it's just a loose end. I'm also hesitant because this topic has already been discussed enough. And quite well (my colleague Claudia Darder, in fact, reminded us that "We have the power to be happy", in a Substack publication on this subject).

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