The creation of massive WhatsApp groups with pornographic content, violence, ISIS executions and messages of incitement to hate, put Spain on alert. Thousands of schoolchildren have been involved in these chats and it is suspected that adults did it, but at the moment there are no arrests. The groups were first detected in the Basque Country, in students from up to fifteen schools, but have also been reported in centers in Madrid. And there could be more communities affected. Many parents are worriedbecause they put their children in the chats without consent.
Faced with this situation, many wonder What parents should and can do to prevent their children from entering or being put in these groups, as well as what filters there are in the messaging app and what can be done, although another debate underlies: Should minors have WhatsApp? Where are the legal limits? At what age is it advisable to buy a mobile phone for our children?
At what age can a minor buy a mobile phone? At what age is it advisable to buy it? Should they have WhatsApp?
What happened revives the eternal debate about the exposure that minors should have to mobile phones. But at what age can they buy a terminal by its own means? “In Spain, a minor, 14 years old, can go with his or her ID to a telephone store and get a prepaid card,” says Sergio Pérez, forensic computer scientist and judicial expert.
Legal question answered:What age is advisable to buy a mobile phone for our children? “Below 12 or 13 years old, I would dare to say that it is not justified,” says an expert. “Between 12 and 14 you can start giving it, with gradual use and supervision,” says another expert. And be careful, because the minimum age to use WhatsApp, now at the center of the controversy, is 16 years old.
“If you’re under 16 years old We already start from the basis that you can’t use the app“, comments José María Real, lawyer. But it is extremely easy to lie about your age in these applications: “The method of verifying your age is simply by entering a date of birth. Any person, by modifying it, can register even if they are not that age. If the mechanism changes, the use of certain applications by minors could be limited,” explains Pérez. Some filter is required so that they cannot access the services if it is not recommended.
Is a total ban the solution? How far to monitor? What if he is between 14 and 18 years old?
Is it the total ban the solution? “To ban it completely is difficult.” “They can’t stop being connected.” “All of his peers already have a cell phone, so if my son is the only one who is left without a cell phone, he will be left out of the group. You are the one who has the responsibility of teaching how to use it properly.”
Currently there different parental control apps to limit the use of the device. But many parents are plagued by the question: How far should you supervise the device? In children under 14 years of age, the answer is overwhelming. We can and we must always. Parents are responsible for minors and the acts they carry out with the devices.
If the child is between 14 and 18 years old, the parents’ duty in those cases “is justified, since protection over privacy is imposed.” If a tutor has suspicions or you believe your child is at risk or you believe there is some illegitimate activity, is the one who has to act. You have to talk to them. They have a useful tool for many things, but there are also risks. If it is limited, we must make it clear that it is because we love them and because we care about them.
Themes
2023-11-26 14:53:20
#minors #WhatsApp
