At the invitation of Türkiye’s First LadyEmine Erdoğan,Milena Spajić, spouse of the Prime MinisterMilojko Spajić, participated in the NATO Summit spouses’ programme in Ankara, taking part in a roundtable discussion entitled“Protecting Children in the Digital Environment.”The event provided an opportunity for participants to exchange experiences and best practices on safeguarding children from the challenges of today’s digital world.

Addressing the growing risks children face online, Milena Spajić stressed that protecting children in the digital environment is a shared responsibility of families, the education system, public institutions, civil society and technology companies.

Children do not distinguish between the physical and the digital world – for them, there is only one world. It is therefore our responsibility to provide them with a safe environment in which they can learn, grow and thrive, regardless of whether it exists outdoors or behind a screen, she said.

Speaking about the challenges posed by the rapid development of digital technologies, Spajić noted that the digital world increasingly competes for children’s attention, “demanding more and more of their time every day, while algorithms often exploit their emotional and developmental vulnerability, encouraging excessive use of digital content and behavioural patterns that can develop into addiction.”

She underlined the importance of strengthening digital literacy, encouraging open communication between parents and children, fostering critical thinking among young people, and improving mechanisms for preventing and reporting online violence and abuse.

Referring to data showing that many children do not report online violence and harassment and therefore remain without support, Spajić emphasised that building trust with children is equally important, so they know they are not alone and can always seek help.

Participants in the roundtable agreed that protecting children in the digital environment requires stronger international cooperation and coordinated action by all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the digital space becomes a safer place for future generations.

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