Solutions for children’s online safety analyzed in Chisinau; Romania's First lady: “We must work together to protect children in an ever-changing digital environment”

The challenges faced by children and adolescents amid rapid digital developments, as well as solutions that can be implemented to ensure their protection online, today were analyzed in Chisinau, during an international conference dedicated to online safety and the impact of the digital environment on mental health. President Maia Sandu, Romania’s First Lady Mirabela Gradinaru, high-ranking officials, national and international experts, representatives of international organizations, and young people from Moldova attended the event.

In her address, Mirabela Gradinaru emphasized the role of authorities and families in protecting children in an ever-changing digital environment. She pointed out that childhood now unfolds simultaneously in the physical and digital worlds, while the boundary between them is becoming increasingly difficult to define. Under these circumstances, authorities must develop solutions to ensure that every child is protected online and is free to learn, connect and develop harmoniously.

“We must work together to protect children in an ever-changing digital environment. As the mother of two young children, this is an issue that concerns me every day. Childhood has always been shaped by the environment in which children grow up, but today that environment has changed. Until recently, we spoke only about dangers in the physical world; today, we have two worlds: the physical world and the digital world. The difference between the two is almost nonexistent. At the same time, we are talking about the opportunities offered by the digital world: learning, creativity and belonging,” Mirabela Gradinaru said.

According to her, responsibility for children’s online safety cannot rest exclusively with parents. Families need concrete support on behalf of institutions, schools, healthcare services and communities.

“A child may be with us in the same room or in the same hall, but at the same time be very far away because they are in a world that we increasingly struggle to understand and control. I have seen many statistics that worry us. It is enough to listen to parents, who are increasingly concerned when they talk about their children’s access to the internet and the amount of time they spend online. There are no longer any doors they can close, because the outside world can reach our children through a screen. So, what can we do? Support parents, because we cannot leave this responsibility solely on their shoulders. First and foremost, I believe parents need concrete support. A mother or father cannot simultaneously be a parent, teacher, psychologist and technology expert. It is unrealistic to expect every family to keep up on its own with risks and changes that even institutions and regulators fail to anticipate,” Romania’s First Lady said.





It is equally important that, when discussing digital literacy, we also discuss mental health literacy, Mirabela Gradinaru emphasized. Children must be able to identify harmful content, unhealthy behaviors and situations in which the online environment affects their well-being.

“Children must know how to recognize harmful content and unhealthy behavioral patterns, and understand when something is affecting their well-being. Parents should be able to get accurate information from institutions capable of providing advice appropriate to the age of the children in their care. Secondly, families need protection to be structurally integrated into the systems around them. Teachers must have access to tools and training. Family doctors, pediatricians and mental health specialists need the ability to intervene early, rather than when it is too late. I can also mention communities and public services, which should—and I would like them to—create a safety net around the family,” Mirabela Gradinaru said.

She added that families and children must be listened to regarding their needs, so that they feel protected and safe online. Mirabela Gradinaru also called for involvement and joint efforts to prevent and identify problems at an early stage.

“It is not enough to offer policies meant for children. They must be part of these decisions. Change cannot be made from an office; we need ambassadors on the ground, and these ambassadors are the children for whom we are going to write these public policies. We must not be afraid of technology. We should envision a future in which children are protected within a digital world and are free to learn, connect and develop harmoniously. No one can do this alone—not parents, state institutions, civil society or international organizations. Only when we realize that we can change today’s world and make it better and safer together, respecting and listening to one another for the future of our children and our society, will we achieve meaningful results,” Mirabela Gradinaru concluded.

President Maia Sandu said that the authorities’ goal was simple: every child of Moldova should be able to grow up healthy, free and safe in a world where physical and digital realities intersect.

“At the beginning of this year, I announced children’s safety and mental health in the digital era as a priority topic. I did so based on a simple observation: a large part of children’s lives now takes place online. This is where they learn, communicate, make friends, discover the world, and express themselves. The digital environment opens extraordinary opportunities for them, but it also affects their attention, emotions, relationships and the way they see themselves,” the president said.







Maia Sandu also emphasized that young people, adolescents and children must be helped to use technology intelligently, in a balanced and responsible manner, to think critically and to use new tools without becoming captive to them.

“That is why, we need a joint effort on behalf of families, schools, the healthcare system, authorities, civil society and the companies that manage digital platforms. We need practical support for parents and teachers, clear procedures for preventing and reporting incidents and rapid, confidential access to help for children in difficulty. At the same time, protection must be integrated into the very way platforms operate. Last but not least, we must listen to the voices of children and adolescents, in order to understand their needs, fears and aspirations,” Maia Sandu concluded.

Health Minister Alexandru Gasnas, who attended the event, stressed the need to discuss online dangers and create mechanisms to protect children and adolescents.

“At a certain point, the digital environment influences everyday life, the way we make choices, think and interact. At this stage, this interaction is probably becoming a public health issue. It is not merely a matter to be discussed in small groups. Probably each of us feels that we must get involved now, because we have the tools to do so and a voice that must become much stronger,” the health minister said.





The minister also noted that children’s online safety must be addressed in a balanced way, without placing the entire responsibility on families.

“The struggle is asymmetric, because these supercomputers are competing for our attention, and that is the biggest problem. We must address this issue in a balanced way. It is extremely important to establish this starting point and take clear, well-defined action and join forces. Each sector—schools, education, and healthcare—already has numerous initiatives, but they must be brought together into a single force, so that we can change children’s perceptions and give them the world they need,” Minister Alexandru Gasnas stressed.

Natasha Azzopardi Muscat, Director of Health Systems at the WHO Regional Office for Europe, said that the healthcare system must be prepared to provide support to citizens amid the transformations brought about by the rapid development of technology.

“One in seven children and one in five adolescents live with a mental health condition. We now see mental health as a public health problem. During the pandemic, mental health was already a priority, but in the current work programme, mental health is everywhere. There will be times when people need support. Our healthcare system and health services must be capable of providing appropriate assistance for this rapidly changing epidemiological phenomenon, both at the primary healthcare level—where we still see a major gap in many countries—and through specialized services,” Natasha Azzopardi Muscat said.





EU Ambassador to Moldova Iwona Piorko said that each child needed age-appropriate digital services and strong protection online.

“When our children leave home—and I also have one child—we ask ourselves simple questions: whether they are safe, whether we know exactly where they are going, and whether they can ask for help. Today, we must ask ourselves the same questions about the digital world. Young people spend between four and six hours a day in front of screens. Six hours every day amounts to twenty years of their lives. At the same time, almost 60 percent of children have already experienced psychosocial problems online,” the ambassador said.

    



Iwona Piorko also emphasized that the EU would continue to support Moldova in its efforts to ensure that children can benefit from the opportunities of the digital world without compromising their safety, rights, mental health or well-being.

“Building a safer digital environment for children means, in fact, building a safer and healthier Moldova, as well as a safer and healthier Europe. The children of Moldova will soon, we hope, be future EU citizens, and we care about them just as we care about our own children,” Iwona Piorko concluded.

The conference titled, Online Safety and the Digital Determinants of Mental Health and Emotional Well-Being among Children and Adolescents, was organized by the Health Ministry and the WHO Regional Office for Europe, under the auspices of Moldova’s Presidency and with co-financing from the European Union.

Experts from France, Belgium, Finland, Poland and the Czech Republic presented European experiences and solutions for creating a safer and healthier digital environment for children and adolescents.