The AFA of Pla de Mallorca unite to delay the first mobile phone until 14 years old

PalmThe Parent-Teacher 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. As reported by 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 until at least the second year of ESO.

This initiative stems from the shared concern about the effects that premature access to the internet and social networks has on minors and is inspired by the Screen-Free Childhood movement, which has already gained momentum in other towns such as Binissalem or Palma and is now extending, for the moment, to all the towns in Pla de Mallorca with students at IES Sineu. These are the municipalities of Lloret, Sencelles, Costitx, Sineu, Sant Joan, Petra, Maria, Llubí, and Ariany.

The main objective of this strategy is to reduce social pressure, as if the majority of families in the same group decide not to buy the device, the child's feeling of exclusion is eliminated and management within the home is facilitated.

In a letter sent to the families of fourth, fifth, and sixth grade Primary students, the family associations detail a series of risks supported by health and education professionals, including exposure to inappropriate content, the risk of cyberbullying, the negative impact on self-esteem, and sleep disturbances that directly affect academic performance. Likewise, it warns about the increase in addictive behaviors and the decrease in time dedicated to face-to-face social interaction and physical activity.

The document establishes clear time thresholds and proposes that digital education be progressive and adapted to the maturity of minors. For this reason, the signing families commit not to provide mobile phones with internet access throughout Primary school and to extend this decision until they are fourteen years old, although the manifesto emphasizes that it would be preferable to wait until they are sixteen, coinciding with the end of the ESO stage. In exceptional cases where a device is necessary for communication purposes, the use of basic devices without a camera or data connection is recommended.

With this coordinated action, Pla de Mallorca positions itself as an active region in the protection of childhood in the face of the challenges of the digital world.