Children and adolescents are avid users of digital technologies. Polish national research institute NASK’s study shows that internet usage among young people has consistently increased, with adolescents currently spending an average of 5 hours and 36 minutes online daily, primarily using social networking sites via smartphones (88.8 per cent).

For Safer Internet Day 2024, nine NGOs from the Americas came together to launch an initiative focused on the digital wellbeing of young children. Leading these efforts was Power of Zero, an international non-profit organisation committed to ensuring the well-being of young people in the digital age.

A concerning trend among school-age children is the exposure to ultra-violent scenes (torture, beheadings, war scenes) on their smartphones. Alarmingly, 25 per cent of 11 to 18 year olds are engaging in this disturbing behaviour. These scenes, often shared on platforms like Reddit, Telegram, Discord, or even social networks like X (formerly Twitter), are part of a troubling challenge where young people test their limits by watching extremely traumatic images. These include footage of drug cartels torturing opponents, terrorists attacking, and torturers murdering convicts.