Despite the fact that multiple studies point to the cyberdependence experienced, especially by children, who can spend up to nine hours a day absorbed by cell phones, and that there are increasingly more proven cases of the negative consequences that social media have for minors, the government of Colombia does not contemplate prohibiting their access to social media or to devices.
The Ciberpaz program, from the government, states that cyberdependence is a syndrome that arrived with the boom of technology. At present, people begin to suffer from it at an earlier age. The concern of pediatricians, caregivers, and parents is focused on children between 0 and 8 years old who, from birth, have contact with screens and the internet for recreational purposes, which ends up affecting their development.
Another government agency, the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC), published last year the study Childhood and Audiovisual Media. Consumption, Parental Mediation and Appropriation 2024, which examined how, how much, and with what type of supervision minors access digital content in the country. One of its first conclusions was that the cell phone is consolidated as the most used medium by children, with an average of 8.9 hours daily during the week. Children are also exposed, through social media, to abuse and forced recruitment by illegal groups.
This figure exceeds the time dedicated to television, which still occupies an important place, especially when it is watched as a family. But even so, the National Government clarified that it does not contemplate prohibiting the use of social media or cell phones in minors, amid the debate over the draft decree on safe digital environments.
Decree would seek commitments from Meta or TikTok
The Minister of Information and Communications Technologies, Carina Murcia, explained that the initiative focuses on regulating, monitoring, and strengthening the protection of children and adolescents on the internet, instead of imposing absolute restrictions. It aims to establish clear rules of the game, monitoring mechanisms, and a shared responsibility between the State, technology platforms, and families.
“They are not going to prohibit cell phones, they are not going to prohibit social media, nor are they going to prohibit children from being on social media,” Murcia stated in an interview with the radio station Blu Radio, in which she underlined that the decree does not have the authority to establish these types of measures. Instead, the proposal introduces obligations for technology platforms, such as Meta or TikTok, which will have to present annual reports on the use that minors make of their services.
According to Murcia, the decree does not have the power to apply that type of measure. Instead, it proposes commitments for digital platforms, such as Meta or TikTok, which will have to present annual reports on the activity of underage users. This approach intends to have more precise information about the digital habits of young people and, from there, to formulate public policies based on data.
The project, instead, contemplates the creation of the National Committee on Technology, Childhood and Adolescence, provided for in Law 2489 of 2025. This body will have the mission of coordinating efforts among different State entities and evaluating the information delivered by technology platforms. Murcia highlighted that this committee will allow “to articulate capacities and above all those actions to comprehensively protect children and adolescents in the digital environment.”
Although no direct restrictions are established, the decree leaves open the possibility of adopting stricter measures in the future if justified by the data collected. It states, for example, that “if we have the information and we find that there is a high percentage of abuse of minors, concrete actions will be determined.” For now, the figures that motivate this initiative reflect a worrying scenario. According to the ICT Ministry, around 70% of young people consume content on the internet, with platforms such as YouTube and TikTok among the most used.
This massive use has also brought significant risks. The minister warned about problems such as online harassment, grooming, and other forms of violation of rights: “Children are being exposed above all to the violation of their human rights, cases of grooming, of cyberbullying.” She also warned that access to digital platforms is not exclusive to adolescents, since even children of 2 or 3 years old have contact with these environments, which reinforces the need to act from an early age.