Mums back ‘sandbox’ initiative, but urge balance

KUCHING (Dec 29): The government’s introduction of a regulatory ‘sandbox’ programme, starting this January, is meant to address the concern among parents about social media’s growing influence on children, especially amidst reports of misuse of and exposure to dangers lurking in the Internet.

The programme aims to evaluate child protection mechanism and strengthen consumer safety in the digital space before full enforcement takes place.

The approach differs from the measures adopted in some countries, including Australia, which has opted for a blanket ban on social media use for children under the age of 16.

For Annabell Naja Tommy Pila, 28, mother of a two-year-old, social media has become almost inseparable from the daily routines of today’s younger generation, particularly for communications and learning.

“However, without control and guidance, it can also bring negative effects such as addiction, emotional problems, and exposure to inappropriate content,” she told The Borneo Post here.

On the sandbox programme, Annabell described the approach as ‘a positive and prudent step’ – one allowing policies to be tested and refined based on real-world experience.

“The trial is important to ensure that the policies introduced are truly effective and relevant to current realities.

“A total ban may not be comprehensive, especially when digital education is already embedded in modern life,” she added.

Nurkhazana Kelana, 28, also shared a similar view, describing social media as ‘a double-edged-sword’.

“It is useful for learning and staying connected with friends, but without supervision, it can be very distracting.

“As a working mother, I worry that the children would spend more time on their phones than with family or on their schoolwork after class,” said the mother-of-three, who expressed full support for the government’s initiative in creating a safer digital space for children.

Nonetheless, Nurkhazana stressed that parents must also play an active role in safeguarding their children with regard to online usage.

“I use parental control apps like Google Family Link to limit screen time, and I set conditions – that they may use social media for learning or hobbies, but I must have access to their accounts.”

For Zaimah Zameri, 30, her greatest concern was the impact of excessive screen exposure on children’s social development and behaviour.

The mother-of-two, thus, hailed the sandbox initiative as one able to provide a structured way to test protection mechanisms in a controlled environment, while improving digital safety in a rational and practical manner.

“It is also important for parents to monitor their children’s behaviour and to educate them about privacy, safety, ethics on social media, and how to identify harmful content,” she added.

Another mother Amirah Fatin Bong, 29, viewed the sandbox trial as ‘a progressive effort to protect young users from online harm, while still allowing them to benefit from the digital platform’.

“Social media is also a space for learning, creativity and community engagement.

“While banning these platforms may seem like a good step, tech-savvy teenagers may still find loopholes, such as using VPNs (Virtual Private Networks),” she said, adding that such bans could even limit digital literacy development among the youths.

For Norhatika Mahzor, 25, safeguarding children online should involve a careful and measured approach.

“I believe the government’s approach is a responsible and appropriate step, compared to a complete blanket restriction,” she said.

Norhatika added that while social media could offer learning and communication benefits, uncontrolled exposure could also affect children emotionally and mentally.

“Based on my experience, my children would throw tantrums when being restricted from using the Internet.

“This has made me more cautious about their screen-time and social media use from an early age,” she added.