Fuerteventura Island Council promotes responsible technology use among 140 people, including children, young people and professionals

Fuerteventura Island Council, through its Department of Social Action, brought together 140 people for the ‘Screens Online, People Connected: Sessions on Living Together and Emotions in the Digital Age’. A total of 125 children and young people, alongside 15 professionals working in education and social services for children and adolescents, took part. The sessions aimed to promote emotional wellbeing and positive relationships in the digital age.

The Island Children’s Service, part of the Department of Social Action led by Víctor Alonso, launched the initiative as part of Fuerteventura’s Second Island Plan for Children and Adolescents. Held in the municipality of Antigua, the activities concluded with a valuable meeting at which both groups shared advice on responsible technology use.

The sessions took place in two separate settings, tailored to the participants’ characteristics and needs, and included contributions from three professionals from the OXIA team, the organisation responsible for delivering the Second Island Plan for Children and Adolescents.

The Antigua Youth Centre hosted the workshops for professionals. The first, ‘Digital Life and Healthy Habits’, explored the main challenges associated with children’s and adolescents’ everyday use of screens, with particular attention to their impact on emotional wellbeing, rest, attention and social relationships. Participants also discussed ways to set healthy boundaries, prevent cyberbullying and excessive connectivity, and provide support in family and educational settings.

The second workshop, ‘Positive, Active and Responsible Use of Technology’, offered an opportunity to reflect on the educational and creative opportunities digital tools provide, while encouraging more mindful, active and responsible use.

Meanwhile, the ‘Inside the Screen: Emotions, Networks and Me’ workshop was held at CEO Antigua for pupils in Years 5 and 6 of primary education and Year 1 of compulsory secondary education. Through participatory activities and scenarios drawn from their everyday lives, the children and young people reflected on how social media, video games and messaging apps affect their emotions and personal relationships. They also explored social pressure, the need for approval, digital empathy, cyberbullying, exclusion and the importance of building a safe and respectful digital identity.

One of the highlights of the sessions was the final meeting between pupils and professionals, which provided a space for dialogue, listening and joint reflection on the challenges technology use poses in everyday life.

The meeting proved especially valuable, as the recommendations put forward by pupils largely coincided with those made by professionals. This showed that, despite generational differences, both groups share concerns, needs and ideas for improving coexistence in digital environments.