On the occasion of Safer Internet Day, President Maia Sandu delivered a message highlighting the importance of protecting children in the digital environment and announced the launch of a national dialogue on this topic, TRIBUNA reports.

“Our children are growing up in a world very different from the one we knew. Real social life — with friends, colleagues, family — is gradually being replaced by a network‑based life, inauthentic, without physical presence, without real relationships,” the President warned.

She also drew attention to the risks present online: “The Internet brings opportunities, but also growing risks: anxiety, social pressure, sleep disorders, harmful content. Increasing evidence shows that the situation is alarming.”

President Maia Sandu stated that consultations will soon take place with parents, teachers, doctors, psychologists, and youth representatives to identify the best solutions for reducing risks in the digital space. “Just as we protect children in everyday life, we must also take care of them in the virtual sphere. The Internet must not be a danger for them, but a space where they can grow,” she emphasized.

Safer Internet Day is an initiative launched by the European Commission in 2004. Today, the event is marked in around 190 countries and territories worldwide.