A total of 550 adolescents from five schools across Ibiza attended the first edition of SUPERA, the Youth Congress for Awareness and Addiction Prevention, held at Teatro Pereyra on Thursday, 5 November 2026.

Organised by Asociación Vívete, the event brought together former Olympic water-polo champion Pedro García Aguado, psychologist Marc Masip and other professionals to discuss addiction, emotional wellbeing, alcohol and drug use, and the growing challenges associated with smartphones and digital technology.

Rather than focusing exclusively on warnings and restrictions, the congress aimed to encourage young people to understand their emotions, recognise potentially harmful behaviours and develop the tools to make more informed decisions.

Pedro García Aguado speaks about addiction, emotions and managing pain

One of the central contributions came from Pedro García Aguado, the former Spanish water-polo player who won Olympic gold at Atlanta 1996 and became widely known through the television programme Hermano Mayor.

Drawing on his sporting career and personal experience of addiction and recovery, García Aguado spoke about success, failure and the importance of learning to manage frustration.

He described how four consecutive defeats during his sporting career had helped him reflect on failure as an opportunity to learn and become stronger. He also explained how his own relationship with alcohol and other substances had been connected to the way he dealt with emotions.

García Aguado shared personal experiences from his recovery, including the support he received from his mother during the three years he spent in a rehabilitation centre. He also spoke about their reconciliation before her death in 2015.

His central message was that young people need to understand what they are feeling rather than simply trying to escape uncomfortable emotions through substances or excessive screen use.

"What I am looking for is not to prohibit, but to give boys and girls tools so that they do not use technology or substances to escape from pain," he explained.

He also emphasised the importance of communicating with adolescents in a way they can understand, arguing that adults need to connect with young people rather than simply telling them what they should or should not do.

For García Aguado, recognising emotions is an essential part of managing them. He warned that young people who struggle to understand and process emotional pain may be more likely to seek escape through excessive time on their phones, alcohol or cannabis.

Marc Masip addresses the impact of smartphones

Psychologist Marc Masip, president and founder of Desconect@, focused on the relationship between adolescents and digital technology.

His intervention examined how excessive smartphone use can affect school performance, family relationships and communication between people.

Masip described the mobile phone as "the wound of the 21st century", arguing that its influence extends beyond screen time and can contribute to difficulties in everyday relationships and family life.

He also highlighted the cases of young people who spend more than 16 hours a day connected to their devices, as well as situations in which problematic technology use is associated with more serious underlying difficulties.

One of his strongest recommendations was that parents should avoid giving children smartphones before the age of 16.

Masip argued that younger children do not need a smartphone to maintain friendships, study or participate in family life, and that parents should be more aware of the potential risks of unrestricted access to digital technology.

He also called for greater attention to psychological support, warning that families often seek professional help only when a situation has become particularly serious.

Soledad Manzano highlights the impact of addiction on families

The congress also addressed addiction from the perspective of parents and families.

Soledad Manzano, president of ASPADIF, spoke about the fear experienced by parents when they believe their children may be developing an addiction.

She explained that parental control often comes from concern, as addiction does not necessarily appear suddenly but can develop gradually. However, she warned that excessive control can also create distance between parents and their children.

Her contribution encouraged students to consider the situation from their families' perspective and understand why parents may become worried about their behaviour.

According to IB3's coverage, some of the young people who attended said afterwards that it was the first time they had genuinely put themselves in their parents' position and understood their concerns. Others said they had not previously realised that addiction could develop progressively.

SUPERA brings prevention and awareness to Ibiza's schools

The first SUPERA congress brought together 550 adolescents from five educational centres on the island, creating an opportunity to address substance-related and behavioural addictions through personal experiences and professional perspectives.

The programme covered alcohol and drugs, smartphones, social networks, emotional regulation and the relationship between young people and their families.

By combining García Aguado's personal testimony, Masip's perspective on digital technology and Manzano's contribution on family relationships, the event approached addiction prevention from several interconnected angles.

SUPERA was organised by Asociación Vívete and held at Teatro Pereyra in Ibiza. Its first edition forms part of wider efforts to encourage awareness, responsible decision-making and healthier habits among young people on the island.