According to the new 2023 Dove Self-Esteem Project Research for Kids Online Safety, 9 in 10 youth mental health specialists say that social media is fuelling a mental health crisis among young people. Over 8 out of 10 children are being exposed to toxic beauty content on social media.

Dove and Mental Health Europe (the largest European independent network committed to promoting mental health and preventing mental health problems) are together calling for a safer social media environment to protect children's mental health.

In the EU, the Digital Services Act (DSA) was passed in 2022 to create a safer digital space. The Digital Services Act requires all providers of services likely to be accessed by or to affect children to uphold their rights, undertake child impact assessments and mitigate systemic risks to children’s rights, based on statutory standards.

This legislation is a big step forward; however, national legislators are not expected to start action until February 2024.

We need your help to ask legislators to start acting now, and to recognise this issue as a priority.

Sign this petition to demand national legislators to:

1) Prioritise the thorough implementation of the Digital Services Act, starting with actions for the most vulnerable users – children.

2) Appoint a national Digital Services Coordinator with proven experience and clear commitment to upholding the rights of the child.

3) Provide the Digital Services Coordinator with the appropriate resources to develop regulatory guidance and pursue effective action against services in breach of the DSA.

To learn more about MHE and Dove’s partnership and to access support materials, please visit Dove.com/kidsonlinesafety  

Dove and MHE will not be raising any funds through this petition. Any ask for donations come from Change.org directly and you are not obligated to pay. 

For more information about this partnership: https://www.mhe-sme.org/dove-mental-health-europe-kids-online-safety/