Increasing awareness
The Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) has launched a comprehensive public awareness campaign called ‘Stay in the Picture’ to support parents navigating their children’s smartphone usage.
According to official government communications, this initiative specifically targets parents of children aged 7 to 12, recognising this as the crucial period when many children receive their first smartphone.
State Secretary Eddie van Marum, who launched the campaign in September 2025, emphasised the importance of timing in establishing healthy digital habits, noting early intervention becomes significantly more challenging as children age and peer influence grows stronger.
Parents lack confidence
Research cited by the Ministry reveals concerning gaps in parental confidence regarding online child safety. According to the campaign materials, 59 percent of parents express concerns about their child’s online safety, yet the majority struggle to find adequate guidance.
The statistics paint a clear picture of the challenge: only 34 percent of parents report being able to easily find reliable parenting tips about digital media usage. Perhaps most telling, more than one in three parents acknowledge struggling to set a positive example themselves when it comes to healthy smartphone and digital device usage, highlighting the complexity of modelling appropriate behaviour in our increasingly connected world.
A balanced approach
State Secretary van Marum’s approach to the campaign reflects a nuanced understanding of technology’s role in children’s development. He states: ‘Children learn, relax and make friends through their smartphones. That’s a positive development, but there are also risks, such as cyberbullying, viewing violent images and health problems from too much screen time.’ This balanced perspective acknowledges that smartphones serve legitimate educational and social functions for children, while recognising potential dangers.
The campaign deliberately avoids technology prohibition, instead focusing on responsible usage patterns. Van Marum emphasised the governmental and parental responsibility ‘to protect our children from this, without depriving them of all the fun and educational experiences the online world offers’.
Education and empowerment
The ‘Stay in the Picture’ campaign represents a refreshingly measured approach to digital child protection, one which prioritises education and empowerment over restriction and regulation. This philosophy stands in stark contrast to the heavy-handed regulatory frameworks increasingly common across Europe, such as the Digital Markets Act, where policymakers often resort to broad technological restrictions rather than targeted educational interventions.
The Dutch approach recognises technology itself is not inherently harmful. Rather, the challenge lies in developing digital literacy and responsible usage patterns. By focusing on parent-child communication, the campaign acknowledges that sustainable solutions must come from within families rather than being imposed by external authorities. This educational approach respects both technological innovation and parental autonomy while addressing safety concerns.
Avoiding common mistakes
European regulatory trends increasingly reflect a paternalistic attitude toward digital technology which threatens both innovation and individual autonomy. The Digital Markets Act, while ostensibly designed to promote competition, exemplifies how well-intentioned regulations can stifle technological progress and limit consumer choice. By designating certain platforms as ‘gatekeepers’ and imposing restrictive operational requirements, such regulations often create barriers to innovation while failing to address the underlying concerns they purport to solve.
The Dutch smartphone campaign offers a superior alternative by empowering families to make their own informed decisions about technology usage. Rather than presuming regulators know better than parents what constitutes appropriate digital engagement for children, this approach trusts families to develop solutions tailored to their specific circumstances and values.
Building public trust
Effective digital governance requires building public trust in technological systems rather than constraining their operation. The smartphone campaign’s emphasis on transparency and communication creates foundations for trust which regulatory approaches often undermine.
When governments impose restrictions on digital platforms without clear evidence of necessity or effectiveness, they signal distrust of both technology providers and citizen judgment. This approach often backfires by creating public suspicion and resistance rather than confidence.
Educational initiatives which empower citizens to make informed decisions build genuine trust by respecting individual autonomy. This approach creates more sustainable outcomes because trust built through education and transparency proves more durable than compliance achieved through regulatory coercion.
Written by Jason Reed