Mexico's Education Ministry Launches National Debate on Youth Social Media Use

The Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP) opened a nationwide discussion on the use of digital devices and social‑media platforms by children and adolescents. Secretary of Public Education Mario Delgado Carrillo emphasized that the impact of these technologies goes beyond school classrooms, affecting habits, routines and brain development, and called for policies grounded in scientific evidence. He urged the participation of parents, teachers and specialists to address issues such as attention, impulse control, anxiety, depression and potential digital addiction.

The debate featured experts in neurodevelopment and addiction prevention, including University of Washington researcher Lucía Magis Weinberg, who highlighted adolescents' vulnerability to algorithmic reward circuits, and psychologist Tania Jiménez García, who warned of the mental‑health risks of excessive screen time. The initiative aligns with the President’s broader effort to raise awareness of digital‑media impacts on the younger generation.