Mitsotakis: We can't wait 5-10 years and risk losing a generation to mental-health problems

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, successful an interrogation with infokids.gr and writer Eleni Daskalaki, spoke astir banning children nether the property of 15 from accessing societal media.

He emphasised that Greece is 1 of the archetypal European countries to instrumentality this inaugural and added that determination is wide acceptance of the measurement successful nine and among parents.

"We are good alert that these behaviours present person an interaction connected children’s intelligence health. And we cannot hold immoderate longer; we cannot hold 5 to 10 years and fundamentally suffer an full generation, which volition turn up with important intelligence wellness issues, earlier we bash thing astir it," said the Prime Minister.

Mitsotakis stressed that, successful bid for the measurement to beryllium afloat implemented, Europe’s assistance is besides needed, arsenic it indispensable beryllium incorporated into European legislation. He noted that Greece presently has nary mode to enforce sanctions connected the platforms due to the fact that the applicable authorities is European and pertains to the Digital Services Act.

He added that the President of the European Commission, to whom helium sent a missive outlining this initiative, is moving successful precisely this direction. He besides expressed the presumption that the measurement volition precise soon beryllium enshrined successful European legislation.

Mitsotakis said helium announced the inaugural present successful bid to kick-start the discussion, arsenic nationalist authorities is required and it takes astir six months to analyse the European magnitude of the issue. He further explained that determination indispensable beryllium connection with the platforms, that they indispensable beryllium fixed time, and that they indispensable beryllium informed that, arsenic of 1 January, they volition not beryllium capable to connection accounts to children nether 15, arsenic this volition beryllium prohibited successful Greece.

He besides noted that the adjacent measurement is to modulate online gambling.

In closing, the Greek Premier emphasised that Greece is acold up of different European countries successful however it addresses these issues and said that the country’s regulatory attack could service arsenic a model.