Emendata

In 2017, a study carried by economists at the University of Sheffield has revealed that the children who spend more time on online social networks feel less happy in almost all aspects of their lives.

Although online media do not represent all the media “sphere”, its importance today is sufficiently enough to consider this matter as a top priority, especially in developed countries such as the Republic of Austria.

In a collaboration of 130 representatives of Austrian stakeholders, a concept for the protection of "Austria's cyberspace" and of the people in virtual space was developed and published in 2012 by the Federal Chancellery.

This program was made to enhance national ICT security especially by promoting media competence and education and research in ICT.

Such program would focus children to help them dealing with media influence.

As a developed country, The Republic of Austria feels concerned with the humaneness of media’s influence on children.

Indeed, the Republic of Austria is lucky to be a country where media has a tremendous influence with a strong tradition of public service broadcasting and an international reputation for creative programme-making.

The Austrian television and radio landscape is specifically characterised by the strong market position of the public service broadcaster ORF and a high viewer’s market share of foreign television channels.

All these elements put forward the necessity to take care of the youngest public who is the more exposed to harmful content.

The international community already adopted the resolution A/RES/71/176 about the role of media in school bullying but the Austrian Republic is ready to go further to protect children from potentially toxic media influence.

In order to protect children from harmful programs and false information on TV or on the internet, the Republic of Austria advocates to insure a prevention class in school to inform children about the information published by the media.

This prevention class would aim to help children being more advert about the information they receive.

Therefore, this class would be adapted for children depending on their age, and it would not tend to develop and encourage conspirationist theory and media scepticism, but on the other hand it would incite children to read more, to choose more carefully their source of information and finally to develop a critical awareness.

However, this solution will not be enough if media coverage does not change its view.

In order to promote worldwide culture and exchange between countries, the Republic of Austria supports the idea of creating an international UN program which would be diffused on both TV and the internet.

This program would intent to essentially develop culture and would be produced by the international community.

The countries would diffuse this program on their national channel and on their national web platform.

Such an idea would allow countries suffering from restrictive freedom of speech to slowly develop a new approach in their national media influence.

The third and last solution the Republic of Austria wants to propose, is to implement restrictions on violent programs on TV and on the Internet, and develop a prevention campaign to alert the dangers of extended screen exposure.

Even if educational apps and TV shows are great ways for children to sharpen their developing brains, we still need to tread carefully because many studies connect delayed cognitive development with extended exposure to electronic media.

Then there would be a compulsory parental control on devices (TV, computer, touch tablet, gaming console), which would force parents to respect an age and time limitation imposed by several programs.

This solution would focus directly on the companies producing technological devices to be intangible when they conceive their products.

The Republic of Austria hopes to find solutions to solve this problem and wants to discuss those brand-new ideas with the international community.