Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545509
4 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 24 JUNE 2026 NEWS Notifika t'Intenzjoni Liċenzja għal Reklutaġġ Innovative Workforce Solutions Limited tiddikjara l-intenzjoni biex tirreġistra għal-Liċenzja tal-Impjiegi skont L.N. 270 tal- 2023 Att dwar L-Impjieg Industrijali (Kap. 452) Regolamenti tal-2023 dwar l-Aġenziji tal-Impjieg. L-attivitajiet proposti jiffukaw fuq servizzi ta' reklutaġġ li jinkludu: 1. Konsultazzjoni dwar reklutaġġ. 2. Intervisti għall-impjieg, selezzjoni u xogħlijiet rakkomandati għal kandidati ideali skont il-ħtieġa marbuta ma' kwalifiki u esperjenza. 3. Reklutaġġ ta' persuni ġejjin minn pajjiżi barranin jew pajjiżi fl-Unjoni Ewropea biex ikollhom impjieg hawn Malta. 4. Reklutaġġ ta' persuni Maltin jew minn pajjiżi fl-Unjoni Ewropea. 5. Reklamar marbuta mal-bżonn t'impjieg vakanti. 6. Jinżamm reġistru t'applikanti għal kull impjieg. Indirizz uffiċjali reġistrat: 103, Demajo House, Archbishop Street, Valletta Numru reġistrat tal-kumpanija: C74158 MALTA combines some of the lowest adolescent week- end screen time in the EU with the highest levels of parental awareness of online harms and Europe's most optimistic teens about social media. The data was published in the 2026 Flash Eurobarometer on adolescent digital life and men- tal health. The survey included 595 Mal- tese youth and 250 parents who were interviewed in the spring. Malta stands out in the 2026 Flash Eurobarometer not for excessive digital exposure but for its unusually balanced and trust-based digital ecosystem. The most striking finding is that Maltese parents are the most aware in the European Union of their children's negative on- line experiences, while Maltese adolescents are simultaneously the most likely in Europe to de- scribe social media in positive terms. This dual pattern sits along- side relatively low screen expo- sure, placing Malta at an unusu- al intersection of limited digital time, high perceived benefit, and strong family engagement compared with EU peers. Among the lowest weekend screen time in the EU On average, Maltese adoles- cents aged 13 to 18 spend 5.1 hours of screen time per day during the weekend, placing the country among the lowest in the European Union for digital ex- posure. This figure is well below the EU27 average of 6.1 hours and significantly lower than coun- tries at the upper end of the spectrum, such as Sweden, where adolescents average 7.3 hours per weekend day. At the lower end, Cyprus records the lowest reported weekend usage at 4.3 hours. The report emphasises week- end usage is a key benchmark because it represents the "upper bound" of digital exposure — periods when school constraints are absent and teenagers have greater discretionary time on- line. While detailed breakdowns are provided for weekend be- haviour, the report does not ex- plicitly list Malta's average for a typical school day. However, it notes that the EU27 average for weekday screen time stands at 4.5 hours, offering a broader context for comparison. Europe's most optimistic teens about social media Despite relatively modest screen exposure, Maltese ad- olescents report exceptionally positive attitudes towards social media. Malta ranks first in the EU for adolescent optimism, with 50% of teenagers describ- ing the impact of social media on their lives as "very positive". This contrasts sharply with the EU average of 14%, highlighting a significant divergence in how digital life is experienced across member states. In many coun- tries, concerns about compar- ison, pressure and online harm dominate the youth narrative. In Malta, however, teenagers are far more likely to associate social media with connection, enjoyment and personal benefit. Parents most aware of digital harms If Maltese adolescents are the most optimistic in Europe, Maltese parents are the most informed. Malta ranks first in the EU for parental awareness of negative online experiences affecting their children. Across the EU, parents often underestimate the extent of digital risks faced by teenagers. Malta diverges from this pat- tern. More than half of parents (54%) report that their child directly informed them about a negative online experience — the highest rate of disclosure in the Union. This high level of openness suggests a family environment where adolescents feel relative- ly comfortable sharing online difficulties, and where parents are more likely to be directly en- gaged when issues arise. Intervention over discussion as default response Malta also stands out in how parents respond to online inci- dents. In 26 out of 27 EU mem- ber states, the most common response is to discuss the situa- tion with the child. Malta is the only country where the primary response is to adjust rules or su- pervision. This indicates a more in- tervention-driven approach, where parents are more likely to modify digital boundaries or oversight following an incident rather than relying primarily on conversation. At the same time, Maltese par- ents are among the least likely in Europe to adopt a strongly negative view of screens overall, alongside countries such as Lux- embourg, Denmark and Ireland. This positions Malta as relative- ly balanced rather than alarmist in its broader assessment of dig- ital life. Trust-based communication rather than constant monitoring Despite high awareness and intervention, Maltese families do not rely on daily monitoring. Only 17% of parents report dis- cussing social media with their children every day, placing Mal- ta in the middle of the EU dis- tribution. Eurobarometer finds Malta tops the EU for parental aware- ness of online harms and ado- lescent optimism about social media This is significantly lower than countries such as Roma- nia (33%) and Bulgaria (29%), where daily communication is more frequent. However, 74% of Maltese parents report discuss- ing social media at least once a week, matching the EU average. This pattern suggests that Maltese parental awareness is driven less by constant surveil- lance and more by trust-based communication and responsive- ness when issues arise. One of Europe's highest rates of professional help-seeking Maltese adolescents are also Malta teens average 5.1 hours of weekend screen time, among EU's lowest