Open Letter to Marbella’s Youth Councillor - Alejandro González
At TeVienes, we work every day with families, young people, and cultural players in our city. That’s why we’re concerned to see how public strategy toward youth has been poured into Instagram, instead of rigorously addressing a trend already affecting thousands of households: around 3 hours a day on average consuming low-friction content that fuels constant reward spikes (“micro-doses of dopamine”) and leaves little room for rest, study, creativity, and community life.
What does that 3-hour daily scroll mean?
Fragmented attention: sustained focus for studying, reading, or sports gets harder.
Sleep displacement: more screens at night, poorer rest, poorer performance.
Social comparison and anxiety: continual exposure to “edited” lives and validation metrics.
Civic and cultural disengagement: less participation in real local activities.
https://www.consaludmental.org/publicaciones/Informe-adicciones-comportamentales-2024.pdf
What we have conveyed to the Councillor
We have already shared our position with the Youth Department: institutional communication cannot be reduced to chasing reach and followers on Instagram. The priority should be programs, spaces, and habits that give young people quality time and equip families with tools. Today, however, many parents are getting the signal that “everything happens on Instagram.”
Proposal: a public debate with no filters (and no phones)
Councillor, we invite you to an open debate on the use and abuse of social media aimed at young people and families, with a no-phones format in the room and moderated Q&A:
Participants: professionals from psychology, education, sports, culture, and youth employment.
Methodology: clear data, real testimonies, practical exercises, and measurable commitments.
Concrete outcome: a draft municipal plan with actions at 3, 6, and 12 months.
TeVienes offers to provide the venue, independent moderation, and multi-channel outreach (website, posters, local radio, schools), prioritizing non-social-media channels.
A call to families:
If your household is dealing with this addiction, we ask for two simple actions:
Write to the Youth Councillor and request a public no-phones debate.
juventud@marbella.es
+34 952 768 757Tell us your story (anonymous if you prefer) so we can bring real testimonies to the debate.
