Banning doesn't solve it. It just pushes the problem into the dark.
I'm Nicholas Carstoiu, I'm 17, and I'm a member of Romania's Children's Board, supported by UNICEF.
Every time adults run into something they don't understand, they reach for the quick fix: ban it. But my generation lives online. If you close the door, the problem doesn't disappear. It moves to places that are even harder to see, where you truly won't know what is going on anymore.
Cyberbullying is real. Comments about how you look, what you say, who you like. Day after day. Many stay silent, because they are afraid it will only get worse if they speak up.
There are solutions:
- Bring real digital and cyber education into the school curriculum, even if that means rethinking our priorities and letting go of subjects with less relevance to real life.
- Free programmes and workshops for teenagers, held in schools, about online safety, abuse, consent and digital responsibility.
- School counsellors trained in cyberbullying, with clear and safe reporting mechanisms.
- Partnerships between schools, parents and IT specialists to understand the risks in concrete terms.
The list could go on.
But the answer is not to ban everything and pretend we have solved something. Because then the problem does not disappear. It moves into the dark zone, where the same adults who ban it today will, tomorrow, have no control and no reference point left.
I believe decisions about us must be made together with us.
Sunt Nicholas Cârstoiu, am 17 ani si sunt membru in Boardul Copiilor din Romania, sustinut de UNICEF.
De fiecare data cand adultii se lovesc de ceva ce nu inteleg, aleg varianta rapida: interzic. Dar generatia mea traieste online. Daca inchizi usa, problema nu dispare. Se muta in zone si mai greu de vazut, unde chiar nu veti mai sti ce se intampla.
Cyberbullying-ul este real. Comentarii despre cum arati, ce spui, pe cine placi. Zi dupa zi. Multi tac, pentru ca se tem ca va fi mai rau daca vorbesc.
Solutii exista:
- Introducerea educatiei cibernetice reale in programa scolara, chiar daca asta inseamna sa regandim prioritatile si sa renuntam la materii cu relevanta mai mica pentru viata reala.
- Programe si workshopuri gratuite pentru adolescenti, tinute in scoli, despre siguranta online, abuz, consimtamant si responsabilitate digitala.
- Consilieri scolari pregatiti pe zona de cyberbullying si mecanisme clare si sigure de raportare.
- Parteneriate intre scoli, parinti si specialisti IT pentru a intelege concret riscurile.
Lista poate continua.
Dar solutia nu este sa interzicem tot si sa ne prefacem ca astfel am rezolvat ceva. Pentru ca atunci problema nu dispare. Se muta in „dark zone”, acolo unde aceiasi adulti care astazi interzic, maine nu vor mai avea niciun control si niciun reper.
Eu cred ca deciziile despre noi trebuie luate impreuna cu noi.
Originally published on LinkedIn.Publicat inițial pe LinkedIn.
