When the online arena becomes hazardous

WILL it be a different kind of childhood in Malaysia starting next year?

Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil revealed that starting 2026, children 16 years old and younger would be banned from possessing social media account.

In announcing this, he said the Cabinet considered this a critical measure to shield individuals from harassment, fraud and violent content in social media.

Certainly, these are threats that even adults find challenging to handle.

The announcement came as the country was still processing disturbing incidents such as the Batu Pahat stabbing said to be linked to Roblox.

Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, in a swift move, met with Roblox, urging the platform to strengthen safety through artificial intelligence (AI) monitoring, human moderation and data-sharing with the Malaysian government.

How much this move can achieve is yet to be seen.

As a mother, grandmother and someone who has worked in media for years, I recognise the worry.

Kids nowadays might not roam from home, but threats come into the household via the small screen that keeps them calm as adults manage work and duties.

Within the realm, a child does not have to leave home to encounter danger.

The risk is already within their grasp.

Malaysia is not tackling this alone.

Globally, governments are enhancing age regulations demanding consent and compelling platforms to improve safety measures.

Australia is progressing towards an age-verification system next month.

Asean recently approved a plan for child online protection advocating for enhanced digital literacy and greater responsibility, from platforms.

At home, there has been an increase in cyberbullying, grooming, as well as young people encountering scams and self-harm material.

The turmoil has been developing over time; now its impact has arrived at our doorstep.

Nobody disputes that children require safeguarding. The key issue is the method.

Banning social media accounts for those under age of 16 appears firm.

However challenging issues persist.

Will children just falsify their age like so many currently do?

Is it feasible for platforms to uphold age restrictions without confirmed identification?

What about school clubs, co-curricular organisations and youth ministries that rely on social media reach?

What about teenagers who utilise devices for education, interests and inventive endeavours?

The truth is simple: prohibiting is simple; educating is difficult.

What Malaysia requires above all is not merely a prohibition, but education.

Let’s be truthful. Numerous parents give their kids a phone due, to schedules.

Grandparents, the support of some Malaysian families, might lack the tools to oversee Internet usage.

They can oversee meals, assignments and bedtime, yet not TikTok fads, Discord conversations or gaming networks.

In Sabah and Sarawak, the smartphone is often the only entertainment device: the cinema, the library, and the playground all in one.

The device itself is not the danger.

The risk lies in utilising it without supervision.

To reduce the amount of time children spend online, we need to provide them with options.

Malaysian parents have a variety of character-developing activities to explore.

A group that is particularly meaningful, to me, is the Girls Brigade, which was started in Dublin in 1893 and introduced to Malaysia in 1938.

Currently, it is acknowledged by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth and Sports as an organisation catering to girls between the ages of six and 17.

This month, I mourn the passing of a friend.

Tnay Yong Hua, the longest-tenured national president of Girls Brigade Malaysia, who returned to the Lord on Nov 10, 2025.

Her involvement with Girls Brigade started in the 1970s.

In five decades, she played a key role in establishing over 80 per cent of Girls Brigade companies in Sarawak, and guided numerous officers and girls.

Although she retired as president, she remained dedicated, as national advisor until her last days.

Her story shows us that children do not have to be raised by screens.

They can be raised in environments that teach and practise leadership, service, discipline and empathy.

Whether it is Girls Brigade, Scouts, Red Crescent, St John, Police Cadet, sports clubs or music groups, the key is this: to reduce screen time, we need to provide valuable time.

Platforms like Roblox, Minecraft and numerous other online games are more than games.

They serve as social worlds where kids engage with strangers become part of communities and access content, which might not be suitable for their age.

It is impossible to eliminate all threats just like it is impossible to clear every rock from a hiking path.

However we can erect barriers, install warning signs and educate children on how to navigate.

Hence the prohibition for under-16s should be upheld by a framework:

• Let’s begin with digital literacy in schools. Children need to understand how to identify scams, misinformation and bullying.
• Put responsibilities on platforms. They must have safety tools, faster response times and algorithm transparency.
• Age verification should have privacy safeguards, to make sure that children information are not revealed.
• Give simple guides to parents and grandparents.

Not every online action is damaging.

Some children acquire skills like coding, design, writing and entrepreneurship through the Internet.

Safeguarding should not stifle creativity.

At this juncture, the Malaysian Media Council and newsrooms can, and should, play a role.

Encouraging responsible reporting to ensure that the identities of children are protected, not exploited for sensationalism.

Playing the role of raising awareness by simplifying policies into clear explanations that households can easily grasp.

When platforms neglect safety, the media should bring attention to it and hold them accountable.

Being a member of the Media Council, I observe how the media can shift this matter from policy discussions, to public awareness.

Increasing the age requirement might shut one door.

However, it will succeed only if we create other opportunities including safer environments, improved digital literacy enhanced parental guidance and significant real-life communities.

Children require safeguarding indeed.

Yet they also require bonding, imagination and direction.

Perhaps the best protection is not fear, but wisdom – a child who knows how to navigate the digital world with courage, care and awareness.

That is the childhood worth fighting for.