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Diari de Catalunya

Pediatric Waiting Rooms in Tortosa and Roquetes Become 'Screen-Free Zones'

The initiative aims to promote reading and raise awareness about the excessive use of digital devices among children and adolescents.

Generic image of a child's hands holding an open book in a waiting room.
IA

Generic image of a child's hands holding an open book in a waiting room.

The waiting rooms of the pediatric line at CAP de Roquetes, serving Tortosa, have been transformed into 'Screen-Free Zones' to promote reading and raise awareness among families about the abusive use of digital devices by children.

This transformation has involved filling the spaces with shelves stocked with books and magazines, for both children and adults, all related to health. The main objective is to raise awareness about the negative effects of excessive screen consumption from an early age.
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"This is our small contribution so that children see taking a book as something natural, rather than picking up a screen. If we all believe in it, perhaps in the end we can change something."

Sònia Ponce · Director of the pediatric line
The director of the pediatric line, Sònia Ponce, noted that the problem of excessive device use extends beyond the waiting room, with children continuing to use mobile phones even during consultations. This situation contributes to issues such as developmental delays in children and addictions in adolescents, which the initiative aims to combat through reading.
The Marcel·lí Domingo Library in Tortosa and the Mercè Lleixà Library in Roquetes have collaborated by donating a hundred books and magazines for these new spaces. Every three months, the available titles will be renewed, following the theme of the wellness corner of the healthcare service. The initiative began with emotions as its central theme.
Librarians Irene Prades of Tortosa and Begonya Ferrer of Roquetes highlighted the 'careful and exhaustive' selection of books, designed for the reading needs of families, children, and babies aged 0 to 3, emphasizing the importance of reading in early cognitive development. This project also seeks to attract new users to the libraries. It is important to remember that books cannot be taken out of the center, should not be touched if one has a fever, and hand sanitizer must be used to keep the materials clean.
The pediatric line emphasizes that the abusive use of devices can affect the cognitive, emotional, and social development of children, necessitating education that promotes healthy use. The councilors for Health of Tortosa, Sònia Rupérez, and for Services to People of Roquetes, Cinta Garcia, added that the 'Screen-Free Zones' aim to offer moments of 'peace and calm' to children while they wait, transforming the center into a more human and participatory environment.

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