Children are the most sensitive part of each community and it is only with a responsible approach to their development that the future of an entire society is influenced. In the first years of a child’s life when it absorbs different stimuli from its environment and explores the world around it, the environment is crucial to its entire development. In today’s world of digital technology, new generations of children are, from a very young age, and quite normally, exposed to the screens of digital devices. Despite all advantages of technological development over the past few decades, particularly in the field of development of mobile communications, possible negative consequences of excessive exposure of children to digital devices raise more and more concern among parents, professionals and a broader public. The questions and dilemmas as to how the time spent in front of the screens influence the development of youngsters call for solutions and responses. For parents and professionals who deal with the early development of children, one of the exceptionally important topics is to find the way to restrict the time a child spends in front of the screen and make it focus on more appropriate content.

As a responsible player in communities in which it operates and a regional leader in the sphere of telecommunications, Telekom Srbija decided to speak publicly about this global topic concerning child development and stage its socially responsible campaign Children’s World is Larger than the Screen. It represents the Company’s response to the challenges of technological environment and influence of digital devices on children in their formative years. The campaign aims to provide space to professionals to share their views about this important topic in order to empower parents and raise public awareness about the need of an appropriate and controlled use of digital devices, particularly at children’s young age. The campaign stresses that early and excessive exposure to screens narrows the space for child development.

Within the project, the most important part of the activities included four panel discussions held in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kragujevac and Niš. The following experts in different areas took part: dr Ranko Rajović, head of the Department for Neuroscience in Upbringing and Education of the Kopar Faculty of Education, master speech therapist Marijana Mirković of the Prof. dr Cvetko Brajović Institute for Psychophysiological Disorders and Speech Pathology, and assistant professor Bojana Drljan of the Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation. They shared with the visitors their expertise and experience acquired through their long-standing work with children and offered guidelines and advice as to how the screens of digital devices are properly used in the daily lives of children.

Panel discussions were open to the public and rallied more than 2,100 interested visitors and with internal support, the Company also ensured that the employees take part in the panel discussions as well.

Through the activities within the project, parents, professionals who deal with the early development od children and a broader public were provided with advice concerning the need of creating an encouraging environment which supports a healthy psychophysiological development of children, the balance between digital and physical activities and a proper use of screens at an early age. In this manner, the Company raises the awareness of the importance of responsible use of digital technologies and encourages children to interact more through such activities as reading, playing, conversing and joint exploration.

The Children’s World is Larger than the Screen campaign received a prize at the Festival of Socially Responsible Communication entitled Campaigns with a Purpose, the eponymous recognition in the Social category, because it was acknowledged as an example of communication with a clear purpose and intended for the promotion of children’s welfare, individuals and society as a whole. It also received the 2024 Sustainability Champion award for the Company’s contribution to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 – Quality Education, with special emphasis on sub-goal 4.2, which pertains to the contribution to early childhood education.