Parliament to discuss the impact of social media on children

TALLINN - A seminar titled "The Impact of Social Media on Children," organized by the Riigikogu's support group for mitigating the harmful effects of social media, will begin on Friday at 10 a.m., with the discussion available to watch via a live broadcast.

"The support group was created with the clear goal of drawing attention to how much time our children spend held captive by social media and finding solutions to give children their childhood back," said Madis Kallas, the chairman of the support group.

He noted that the seminar will involve discussions with top Estonian scientists and experts on how social media specifically affects children and what should be considered when talking about potential restrictions on their social media use. "Also, today marks exactly one month since Australia imposed a social media ban on children - we will also inquire, via a live link with the deputy head of the Estonian Embassy in Australia, about how this past month has gone for their society," Kallas added.

The seminar will feature presentations from psychologists and researchers in relevant fields such as Eneli Kindsiko, Grete Arro, Jaan Aru, Kätlin Konstabel, and Andra Siibak. Additionally, Gerd Kanter, Vice President of the Estonian Olympic Committee; Andero Sepp, coordinator of online policing at the Police and Border Guard Board; Ringo Ringvee, a researcher at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences; and Kristjan Kuurme, Deputy Head of the Estonian Embassy in Australia, will share their insights.

The seminar, starting at 10 a.m. in the Riigikogu's conference hall, can be watched live on the parliament's website. A video recording will be available for later viewing on the Riigikogu's YouTube channel.