The Minister of Consumption, Alberto Garzón, has assured this Friday that the government does not intend “in any way” to ban some of the digital platforms it wants to meet, such as TikTok, but that they will try to avoid change their technical design for Compulsive use by minors and underage people.
Alberto Garzón has said this in statements at the headquarters of his ministry where he explained that he has contacted the main technology companies that own the most used social networks in Spain (TikTok, Meta, Twitter, YouTube and Google+) . Concern about the compulsive use of these types of devices and the consequences they can have on the mental health of the youngest.
According to Garzon, this is not a technical problem, but the technical design of these platforms and social networks so that people can use this application for as long as possible.
They use, he argued, algorithms or short videos in succession, for example, that are engaging for the brain and “thus they achieve their goal: to keep us going as long as possible.” “
And the accumulated scientific evidence in recent years is abundant in “serious and serious” consequences, especially in young people and minors.
They are similar, according to the minister, to the phenomenon of non-substance addictions, such as gambling and instant bets, since “they lead to a series of problems such as anxiety, depression, frustration or difficulty in emotional management”. , but they can also affect the decline in academic performance.
He wants to partner with platforms because he believes that there are solutions and technical formulas that are capable of modifying the type of incentives these platforms provide to users and so that they can make more satisfactory use of technology and They can take advantage of what can be positive.
That is Garzón’s intention and what he will promote during Spain’s European presidency.
