Social media, mental health and sexuality education in childhood and adolescence: educating also means accompanying children and adolescents in the digital world.

On 4 June 2026, I had the opportunity to attend the Thematic Dialogue on Social Media and Children’s Mental Health, a European dialogue event held within the framework of the Council of Europe.

I am very grateful for the invitation to this meeting, which addressed a concern that is increasingly present in families, classrooms and among those of us who work with children and adolescents: the impact of social media on the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.

And, as became clear during the dialogue, this is not a simple issue. When we talk about childhood, social media and mental health, the answers are rarely black and white. It is not simply a matter of banning or allowing, controlling or letting things happen. The real challenge is to find a balance between protecting, accompanying, listening to the voices of children and adolescents, and also guaranteeing their rights in the digital environment.

Social media is part of the everyday lives of many children and adolescents. It influences how they communicate, how they compare themselves with others, how they present themselves, how they relate to others and also how they build their self-esteem, identity and relationships.

That is why there is one idea I consider essential:

Digital education can no longer be seen as something secondary. Nor as something to be addressed in the long term. It is a reality that urgently needs to be faced. It is part of emotional, affective, relational and also sexuality education.

( Image source: The Council of Europe, coe.int)

Today, we cannot educate about sexuality while separating it from the digital environment. Social media, body exposure, the need for approval, filters, aesthetic pressure, consent, pornography, online relationships and the construction of desire are part of the everyday reality of childhood and adolescence.

Sometimes we talk about “screens” as if it were only a matter of screen time. But the question is not only how many hours they spend in front of a screen, but also what happens during that time:

What do they see?

What do they feel?

What are they looking for?

What do they normalise?

Who are they interacting with?

What image are they building of themselves?

What idea of the body, desire, love or consent are they learning?

Digital platforms can offer opportunities to express oneself, learn, participate and connect with others. But they also pose real risks to well-being and mental health, especially when children and adolescents are exposed to disturbing content, social pressure, constant comparison or mechanisms designed to capture their attention, keep them connected for longer and encourage compulsive use.

Those of us who work with minors know that this reality has long been part of classroom conversations, families’ concerns and the way children and adolescents understand relationships.

It is precisely from this concern that Golosinas Virtuales ( Virtual Sweets) was born: a guide I have written to support families and teachers in understanding the digital world — its attractions, its risks, its mechanisms of engagement and, above all, the need to educate with presence, judgement and boundaries.

Because protecting does not mean isolating.Educating does not mean frightening or delegating everything to parental controls.And accompanying does not mean looking the other way.

We need to be present. To ask. To listen. To set boundaries. To explain. To open uncomfortable conversations before the internet opens them for us.

Talking about children’s mental health today also means talking about screens, social media, self-esteem, desire, relationships, sexuality and adult guidance.

Thank you to the Council of Europe for promoting spaces for reflection that help us move towards safer, more conscious and healthier digital environments for children and adolescents. Because educating in the 21st century also means accompanying the digital world.