Greece announced on Monday the launch of a campaign to protect adolescents from internet addiction, following similar measures taken by Australia last month . Conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that his government will implement a national strategy to educate parents and children, and encourage social media companies to take responsibility.
"A massive experiment on the brains of our children is currently underway... This must stop. A reaction is necessary and I want Greece to play a leading role," Mitsotakis said during the campaign launch in Athens. Authorities indicated that at least one in ten Greek teenagers faces serious web addiction issues.
As part of the measures, a new parental control website was launched at https://parco.gov.gr, providing step-by-step guidance on setting up browsing protections on children's smartphones. By April, Greece will also introduce a tool to verify the age of internet users with associated daily limitations. Last September, the Prime Minister emphasized that excessive social media use leads to depression, feelings of isolation, sleep deficits, and addiction.
