The way children and adolescents grow up is changing. Digital media and social networks are now part of their everyday lives and, consequently, their social environment. The impact this has on their development and mental health is currently a major focus of social and political discussions.
Digital media offer opportunities for communication, information, learning, and participation. At the same time, questions arise about their influence on development and mental health.
Scientific Expertise for the Protection of Children and Youth
Prof. Dr. Michael Kölch, a researcher at the German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ) and director of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Neurology, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy at the University Medical Center Rostock, also addresses these questions. As co-chair, he contributed his scientific expertise to the independent expert commission “Protection of Children and Youth in the Digital World” of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The commission developed recommendations for modern protection of children and youth.
“As the lives of children and adolescents change, we must also consider the health implications of these changes. When it comes to digital media in particular, we need a nuanced perspective: What risks exist, for whom, and under what conditions? Scientific expertise can help contextualize these questions and derive recommendations for modern child and youth protection,” states Prof. Dr. Michael Kölch, co-chair of the commission.
Research for Healthy Development
The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina is also examining the effects of social media on the mental health of children and adolescents, and the German Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy (DGKJP), under Kölch’s presidency, has this year collaborated with other professional associations to develop scientific position statements on the topic for the debate at the federal and EU levels. And just on September 17, the European Commission proposed the “EU KIDS Act”.
World Children’s Day on September 20 therefore provides an opportunity not only to focus on the rights and needs of children, but also on the challenges and potential pitfalls that can affect their health and development. Children and adolescents are not just small adults. Their health and development require a distinct scientific perspective.
After all, making good decisions for children and adolescents requires scientifically sound knowledge.
