A Dutch government campaign urging early parent-child conversations about screen time touches on concerns familiar to churches and Christian family organisations.
A Dutch government campaign, ‘Ben ik in beeld’, encourages parents to start conversations with children about smartphone and social media use as early as possible, on the reasoning that parental influence declines as children grow older and peer influence grows. The state secretary for digital affairs is fronting the initiative, drawing on ministry survey data on youth and social media harm. For churches and Christian family organisations, the campaign touches on familiar ground: guiding children’s media habits and having open conversations at home rather than relying only on technical controls. It also raises a practical question for Christian schools and youth ministries, which often field similar concerns from parents about screen time and online safety.
Source: ECMS 2026