Internet, two Telefono Azzurro apps to protect teens. Even on vacation.

For many children and adolescents, summer holidays coincide with the loss of stable points of reference: from teachers to educators to social services.

Paradoxically, a period of rest and regeneration for them and their parents can turn into a phase full of pitfalls, perhaps because the holiday determines, whether we like it or not, a lowering of the level of attention of the family members, particularly in relation to the use of smartphones or digital devices in general by minors.

"We must never lower our guard because young people's problems and loneliness don't go on holiday," commented Telefono Azzurro , an organization that has been supporting adolescents for 38 years.

The organization founded by Professor Ernesto Caffo , who is still its president, expands its support services during the summer. This was achieved by developing the apps for the 19696 and 116000 services, the support and helplines for children and adolescents. "Through the apps, you can contact Telefono Azzurro volunteers any day, any time, who are ready to receive and manage requests for help," the association explains. Both apps are available for both Android and iOS and can be downloaded free of charge from the respective online stores.

As you may recall, 19696 is the historic helpline that made Telefono Azzurro familiar to millions of Italians. The 19696 app, dedicated to listening, support, and psycho-pedagogical counseling for children, adolescents, and adults in difficult situations, also has a feature for reporting illegal online content to the team of analysts via the "Click and Report" platform . "It's a simple, effective, and direct way to report the presence of potentially harmful or inappropriate content online for children or adolescents," they explain.

The 116000 app, the European number dedicated to reporting and managing missing children, "in addition to already having the geolocation function active for users who contact them via the app (both during calls and in silent mode), also has an information section dedicated to the international network of Missing Children Europe."

Caffo explains that "a lack of protection and listening can expose children and adolescents to greater risks. When kids are alone, they withdraw into themselves and are more likely to retreat behind screens. This makes them vulnerable to a world full of hidden dangers."

The professor, Professor of Child Neuropsychiatry at the University of Modena-Reggio, explains that "summer is also the time of year when reports and cases of missing children increase. For this reason, we have decided to further strengthen our listening services by making dedicated apps available in the Android and iOS stores. Listening," says Caffo, "can't afford to go on vacation, but in fact, it is precisely during this time that we need to pay greater attention to responding to requests for help from young people in difficulty and offering them expert support."

In the opening photo, app 19696. Photo by the author for VITA.

Tags:
• teenagers
• cyberbullying
• Childhood