A survey conducted by Porto Digital in partnership with Offerwise in April of this year revealed that 90% of Brazilians over the age of 18 with internet access believe that teenagers lack the emotional and social support necessary to cope with the challenges of the digital environment, especially on social media. The survey polled 1,000 people across all regions of the country, with a margin of error of three percentage points and a 95% confidence level.

In addition to the lack of support, 70% of respondents advocate for having psychologists in schools as a way to address the mental health crisis among young people. The survey was prompted by the impact of the Netflix series *Adolescence*, which depicts the impact of the digital world and the growing distance between parents and children.

Among the main challenges identified in the survey are bullying and school violence (57%), followed by depression and anxiety (48%) and pressure to conform to beauty standards (32%). For Porto Digital President Pierre Lucena, the data points to a pressing social issue: “Caring for young people must be a shared commitment among schools, families, businesses, and governments. This survey shows that it’s not enough to just talk about innovation—we need to humanize it and put it to work for society,” he said.

The study also drew attention to the recent stance taken by digital platforms, which have been relaxing their content moderation policies. According to Luciano Meira, a psychologist and professor at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) and an advisor to Bett Brasil, this change could facilitate the spread of hate speech and misinformation, particularly affecting vulnerable young people.

“This decision reduces the social responsibility of big tech companies. Without moderation, there is greater exposure to inappropriate content, and this directly undermines democracy,” Meira warned. He also pointed out that the lack of regulation could overburden the judiciary.

“It is possible to preserve freedom of expression through responsible moderation. We need to rethink Article 19 of the Brazilian Civil Rights Framework for the Internet to strengthen social protection—not only for children and young people, but also to assess how we are addressing the needs of the elderly today, who are made vulnerable by a whole range of attacks, from co-optation to certain types of ideology,” added the professor.

The Federal Supreme Court (STF) is reviewing the constitutionality of Article 19 of Law 12,965/2014, which exempts platforms from liability for offensive content posted by users, except in cases of noncompliance with a court order. The outcome could redefine the role of digital platforms in protecting the country’s most vulnerable populations.

Source: Agência Brasil.

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