The well-known filmmaker Virgil Ianțu, together with the “Children say” team, launches a manifesto on the occasion of Children's Day to sound the alarm on an extremely present topic: bullying.
Virgil Ianțu's show, “Children say”
Since June 1st, Virgil Ianțu, together with the “Children say…” team, has been sounding the alarm about online bullying and verbal abuse that children are subjected to by the adults around them.
“I have noticed a worrying phenomenon more and more often: children are subjected to verbal abuse and offensive comments. They are criticized for their opinions, the way they speak, their passions or the way they express themselves. This misunderstood freedom of expression turns many adults into the abusers of children who should actually be supporting them in expressing their emotions and thoughts. They are the mirror of our society and it is our duty to protect them and gently guide them”, says Virgil Ianțu.
In 2021, Virgil Ianțu and Romanian Artists Agency relaunched the phenomenon show “Kids say crazy things”, show that quickly conquered the online environment, becoming the first online edutainment show in Romania. The “Children say…with Virgil Ianțu” project is the only platform in our country that encourages children to express themselves freely and urges adults to listen to what the little ones have to say.
3 years after the launch, thanks to the public accessibility of the product, the phenomenon of online hate was not slow to appear in the community “The children say”. Thus, Virgil Ianțu launches a manifesto together with the children, through which they want to emphasize the importance of the responsible behavior of adults in the online environment, and not only.
A child should be guided and taught, not insulted, labeled or verbally abused. We encourage adults to take on the role of positive role models and avoid negative comments when they have nothing constructive to say.
“I'm glad that thanks to the show “Children say”…with me, they make their voices and thoughts heard, but it's sad when you notice how much judgment and negative energy they encounter online and, in general, around them. And I don't just mean the kids who come on the show. The children and teenagers who appear in commercials, movies, who make their own media channels, who explore their passions, who try to make their voices heard in one way or another, who try to inspire. Adults who have such starts should look again at the child in them, which should never disappear. Any word thrown to the wind, any offense or judgment, can mark a child in the long run.
Let's support them, educate them, guide them, with respect, admiration and love, just as we like to be, loved and admired for who we are.” Virgil Ianțu also specified.
