SOCIAL media and the Internet are the main sources teenagers turn to for sexual and reproductive health education, say experts.
Taylor’s University Master of Clinical Psychology programme director Dr Lim Hooi Shan said Malaysia’s high access rates to online sexual exploitation materials fuel an environment of grooming and manipulation.
She added that this is made worse by social media platforms that promote revealing and highly sexualised content as a trend, often through subscription-based content cultures, which can lead teenagers to develop a distorted self-impression of being more mature than they are.
“It is important to understand that teenagers’ limbic system, which is responsible for emotions and immediate rewards, matures much earlier than the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for impulse control and long-term consequences,” she said.
OrphanCare Foundation project coordinator Noor Halimahton Sa’adiah Talib said it is not just Internet search engines, social media or video streaming platforms that carry sexual content.
“Gaming platforms and other platforms where users can interact with one another are also risky.
“There are new exposure avenues coming out every year,” she added.
She also said that children who own their own phones are more at risk of coming across sexual content and that parents must keep a very close eye on their usage.
Adding on, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Specialist Centre consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Assoc Prof Dr Anizah Ali said both girls and boys need to be more aware of sexual predators online and must be equipped with digital safety knowledge, including how to identify red flags or signs of grooming.
“Although they are digitally capable, they are naive about these things,” she said, adding that these lessons need to begin in primary school, as many children at that age already have access to the Internet on personal devices.
Parental intervention
Lim, who is also a senior lecturer at the Taylor’s University School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management, added that teenagers from families with internal issues, such as neglect, or those with insecure attachment styles, are significantly more likely to seek validation and love through distorted sexual pathways as a means of gaining a partner’s acceptance.
“They may use sex as a tool to prevent abandonment and please their partner, often mistaking physical intimacy for true emotional security,” she said.
Parents, Lim noted, can act as a reliable source of information by starting conversations early and maintaining them consistently.
For a child aged 0 to five, she said, a parent might say: “Your body belongs to you, and just like your name, your body parts have names. If anyone ever touches the parts covered by your swimsuit, you must tell me because you are the boss of your body.”
As for older teenagers, the guidance shifts towards autonomy, she said.
She suggested that parents can say something like: “I know social media can make being ‘sexy’ look like a trend, but I want you to have the right facts to make informed decisions. Authority over your body belongs to you, not to me or any partner. Real love is not just a physical feeling; it involves respect and commitment, and I am here to help you protect your future.”
