Raed Arafat calls for limiting minors' access to social media
Articol de Radiojurnal, 31 Ianuarie 2026, 20:39
The head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, believes that the time has come for Romania to take a bold and responsible step and join the countries that are discussing or have already decided to limit children's and teenagers' access to social media.
In an online post, he says that he has been reflecting on this issue in the context of extremely serious events involving minors.
Dr. Arafat believes that this is not a matter of censorship, but of protecting the mental health of children and teenagers.
"Just as minors are not allowed access to tobacco, alcohol, gambling, or adult movies, social media should also be considered harmful to children", the DES chief adds.
He emphasizes that "these platforms are based on sophisticated manipulation mechanisms, designed to capture attention and generate addiction."
The head of the DES believes that "leaving the problem solely to parents is no longer sufficient in a world dominated by global platforms and huge commercial interests."
Translated by: Radu Matei
