The Research Institute of Child Psychology and Pathopsychology (VÚDPaP) drew attention to various groups and channels on the Telegram platform that are accessible to children and adolescents. They can spread misinformation, dangerous ideas or inappropriate content. He gave recommendations to parents in this regard.
“Telegram is known for providing a platform for anonymous communication. Being an unregulated social network, content control is minimal, increasing the risk of accessing extremist and illegal material,” stated VÚDPaP. According to him, parents should monitor which groups and channels their children join. Also use content filtering tools.
As the institute added, Telegram as a Russian social network, raises concerns about its possible use for spreading pro-Russian disinformation and propaganda, especially in the context of the war in Ukraine. “Slovakia is vulnerable to this form of manipulation, because pro-Russian propaganda tries to undermine Western democratic values and destabilize society,” he pointed out.
According to VÚDPaP, the mentioned platform is often used as a channel for spreading political manipulations, while they can have a serious impact on public opinion. Parents and the public are urged to be cautious, critically evaluate the content on the platform and be aware of possible influence.
It also recommends that adults warn children and young people about the risks of communicating with strangers and the need to be cautious when using anonymous and unverified channels. “Although communications on Telegram are encrypted, which provides a certain level of privacy protection, the encryption can be misused to spread illegal content and extremist material without much control,” added the research institute.
