Some tweens and teens like Jayanthi are excited to spend time outside with friends. — 123rf
RAYYAN Abdul has been checking his mobile phone to see if he can still use his social media accounts.
So far, the 14-year-old has been heaving sighs of relief but still, the worry remains.
“I have been logging off and on my TikTok and Instagram. And my Facebook too. So far, I can still use them. But who knows. Maybe I won’t be able to use them by the middle of the year.”
Rayyan, who lives in Kuala Lumpur, is among many teens who will be affected by the enforcement of the social media ban for users under 16 – under the Online Safety Act – expected to take place this year.
While checks reveal that they can still log into social media platforms, some are dreading that the new ruling will change their lifestyle and social circles.
“It is something that I am used to. I like posting pictures of wherever I go, my cats or funny memes I find online. My parents do limit my screen time to two hours a day and usually I check on my postings before I go to sleep.
“But when the time comes that I cannot go online anymore, I may feel bored or ‘empty’ before going to bed,” says Rayyan.
As for K. Jayanthi, 14, from Klang, Selangor, she has already made plans to spend more time meeting her peers in the evening after school when the ban comes into force.
“My parents always told me to ‘touch grass’. So I guess this is it then, until I turn 16. For now, I told my friends that we’ll go cycling in the evening or play some badminton.”
When asked, Jayanthi admits that “life may be boring” since she will not have access to her social media accounts for more than a year.
“Social media is fun. I can talk to my friends, see their postings and laugh about the funny ones. Or find some interesting pages about cute things. Sometimes, we come across interesting trivia too, like about a really old shark found swimming near Greenland.
“Yes, of course, it [the ban] doesn’t mean I can’t talk to my friends anymore. I will always meet them in school at least.”
For Areanna S., 15, while a social media ban would hamper her ability to do schoolwork and learn new things, she will not mourn the platforms’ loss in her social life.
“Yes, it will maybe be harder for me to do my assignments and learn new things because on social media you can search for information, learn from other people’s experiences, get inspiration or ideas and exchange knowledge with others, especially friends.
“But I think the ban for young children is a good idea because kids nowadays tend to be more on their phone scrolling through social media than talking with each other or their family. This can make kids feel lazy to do their school work or help their parents at home,” says the Form Three student from Sungai Petani, Kedah.
Areanna, who is an avid gamer, shares that instead of social media, she communicates with her friends in the chatrooms of online games, especially on Roblox. She only goes to TikTok and Facebook to check out friends’ photos and watch funny videos.
She adds she agrees that the government should increase the safety of going into a website in case it’s dangerous, but young people and their parents need to take care of their safety when online too.
“For example we need to learn to be careful when receiving an anonymous text or link from strangers,” says Areanna.
However, at least one teenager is counting her lucky stars about the ban: Jenny Chew, also 15, says she may only have to take a break from social media for less than a year, before she turns 16.
“First of all, I’m not sure when the ban will take place. I can still log into my accounts. If it is going to take place next month or later, still, it won’t be too long until I can use them again.
“Will I miss using them [social media platforms]? Sure. But I guess I can still meet my friends, watch Netflix and YouTube, and scroll on my mom’s TikTok account,” says Chew, who lives in Melaka.
