Adolescents from Provincial School No. 1 Martín de Moussy in Posadas participated in the workshop "Betting on Prevention".
Argentina.- In order to raise awareness about digital gambling addiction and other dangers in the virtual environment, students from Provincial School No. 1 Martín de Moussy in Posadas, in the province of Misiones, participated in the workshop "Betting on Prevention", an initiative organized by Silicon Misiones and the NGO Faro Digital.
The activity featured the presence of Alicia Penayo, president of Silicon Misiones; the lawyer specialized in cybercrimes, Aryhatne Bahr; and representatives from Faro Digital. In an interview with Canal 12, the experts highlighted that this workshop is part of an ongoing effort started in 2024 to increase awareness about digital gambling addiction and other dangers in the virtual environment.
According to the specialists, online betting has become increasingly popular among adolescents, largely due to their constant exposure on social networks and sports events. Penayo detailed that betting platforms employ recruitment strategies on networks like Instagram and TikTok, where young people spend a great deal of their time. This accessibility to the sites, often without age restrictions, increases the vulnerability of adolescents, who may engage in risky behaviors without being fully aware of the consequences.
Bahr added that, in addition to online betting, young people also face other cybercrimes such as digital scams, online harassment, and grooming. “The report from the Ombudsman's Office had already reported an increase in cases of gambling addiction in Posadas, which led us to identify the most affected schools to carry out specific interventions,” she noted.
It is worth noting that Silicon Misiones and Faro Digital are developing a multidisciplinary approach that involves various institutions, such as the Judiciary, the Ombudsman's Office, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Labor. Penayo explained that the goal is to coordinate efforts and strategies among these institutions to make prevention more effective and maximize the available resources.
Furthermore, today, Friday, March 14, a new training session aimed at officials and public policy designers will be held, with the aim of providing tools to address the problem from different sectors. .
Simultaneously, Silicon Misiones and Faro Digital continue to train teachers and community leaders to act as multipliers in the prevention of problematic internet use. The goal is to create "small beacons of digital citizenship" in different parts of the province, ensuring that more young people and families have access to information and tools to navigate safely.
