Call for projects "Digital Detox Spaces"

With its new call for projects "Digital Detox Spaces", Œuvre aims to encourage the creation of screen-free communal spaces in places frequented by young people aged 12 to 18.

Following discussions between the charity and experts in the field of "children and young people and information and communication technologies (ICT)", the charity's Youth Committee has identified Internet and social networking addiction, and the impact of the Internet and influencers on young people, as a real problem.

One of the conclusions drawn is the existence of a real need to create attractive common spaces without screens in places regularly frequented by young people aged 12 to 18, such as secondary schools and youth centers.

According to experts, young people spend a lot (too much) of their free time on their smartphones and social media, which leads to a lack of direct social contacts and a drastic reduction in exchanges and common activities among peers. While many young people are aware of this phenomenon, they may not necessarily have the ability to reduce their use of ICTs. Many young people are aware of this phenomenon, but they may not necessarily have the ability to reduce their use of ICTs.

The call for projects "Digital Detox Spaces" aims to encourage the creation of dedicated spaces where alternative activities will be offered and where ICTs will be prohibited, both in formal education structures and in non-formal education structures. Therefore, the interaction between young people will be re-stimulated in places frequented by them, which will have a positive impact on their cognitive skills, emotional stability, and physical well-being.

By providing a total budget of 120,000 euros for the "Digital Detox Spaces" call for projects, the Œuvre aims to support 24 projects with a maximum amount of 5,000 euros each.

The projects submitted must fall within two of these four categories: