Regulating social media age vital for children’s online safety, emotional devt

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 26): The government’s plan to raise the minimum age for social media use to 16 from 13 marks a timely and decisive step to protect schoolchildren from growing digital harm.

If implemented, the measure would help curb various social crimes including bullying and sexual harassment in schools that have reached alarming levels.

In view of this, the National Parent-Teacher Association Consultative Council (PIBG) Council is urging all stakeholders to unite in combating social crimes linked to social media.

Its president, Datuk Dr Mohamad Ali Hasan, said parents and guardians particularly should play a more active role in supervising their children’s activities.

“We urge parents to monitor the video games their children play, especially those with violent or age-inappropriate content. Many parents today let their children play without checking the game’s content or rating,” he said.

He explained that many parents chose the easy way out by giving their children phones or tablets to keep them quiet, not realising that they are allowing them to learn deceit, manipulation, and emotional detachment through the digital world.

“We cannot continue to ignore the issue. Children aren’t born bad, but if we let the virtual world raise them, their hearts can turn to stone,” he said.

He also urged the government to broaden its focus beyond social media and pay attention to the harmful effects of paid streaming platforms.

Dr Mohamad Ali appealed to the Communications Ministry and the Ministry of Education (MOE) to collaborate in screening and filtering social media content that promotes violence, sex, crime, and bullying, which young users can easily access.

Disrupting children’s development

Assoc. Prof. Dr Fauziah Mohd Saad, a counselling psychology expert from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), warned that early exposure to social media can disrupt children’s emotional wellbeing and development.

She cautioned that the effects can linger long-term, influencing both mental and social growth.

“Children under 13 lack the cognitive and emotional maturity to handle social pressure online. They easily imitate peers and celebrities they see on social media, which makes them feel inadequate and constantly compare themselves to others,” she said.

She explained that online validation, whether through likes and comments, could become a primary source of self-worth, often leading to social media addiction and low self-esteem.

Dr Fauziah also highlighted the rising trend of cyberbullying, noting that many children struggle to cope with ridicule or negative comments, which exposes them to depression and anxiety.

She urged parents to build their children’s emotional resilience before allowing them to become active in the digital world.

“Parents should nurture internal self-esteem, limit screen time, and teach children about digital responsibility,” she said.

She also emphasised that open communication between parents and children remained the strongest shield against negative online influences.

Dr Fauziah encouraged schools to play an active role through digital literacy and emotional awareness programmes.

She suggested that school counsellors train Peer Support Leaders (PRS) to provide emotional support to students.

“Schools and families must work hand in hand. They should implement clear anti-cyberbullying policies, conduct psychometric screenings, and hold continuous parent awareness programmes. Only a holistic approach can produce a generation that is not only digitally literate but also emotionally strong,” she said.

Strengthening digital safety frameworks

The Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF) is also calling on social media platforms to implement age verification systems to safeguard children online.

Its chief executive officer, Mediha Mahmood, said they supported the government’s proposal to set an age limit for social media use.

“Child safety online is one of the top priorities in the ongoing 2025 Content Code Review. We have received extensive feedback from various stakeholders on how to create a safer digital space without compromising user rights and experience,” she said.

She noted that while age verification was a safety measure, the real priority was to embed child protection features from the earliest stages of platform development.

Mediha underscored the critical need for algorithmic transparency and accountability, noting that algorithms now play a decisive role in shaping the online content consumed by users, particularly among younger audiences.

“Algorithms determine what we read and watch. Therefore, platforms must practise algorithmic accountability and be transparent about their safety policies and content principles,” she said.

She added that CMCF encouraged the creation of positive and educational content as part of its recommendations in the 2025 Content Code Review.

The forum also proposed clearer content labelling and age categories to help parents make better decisions about suitable material for their children.

To strengthen Malaysia’s digital safety ecosystem, CMCF is collaborating with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the Ministry of Education, and major platforms such as TikTok and Google to develop a comprehensive child protection framework.