PETALING JAYA: The government has a big role to play in ensuring that social media platforms comply with child safety standards, says 42-year-old stay-at-home mother Teoh Sze Wen.
“Social media is definitely dangerous for children and teenagers.
“They are still making their way in the world, developing their self-identity and friendship while being exposed to the unknown,” she said.
“The government has the authority to set and enforce rules that will help parents, who have the main responsibility in guiding their children’s social media usage.”
Sales and events manager Jency John, 39, said that she is glad that the government is taking action to address the issue of cyberbullying, especially with the recent unfortunate case of influencer and activist Esha’s death.
“I hope that this will deter cyberbullies, and for them to realise that there are real consequences to bad behaviour on social media,” she said.
Help desk analyst Xavier Low, 28, said he agrees with the move by the government to tighten controls on social media, but also worries that it may affect freedom of speech.
“More enforcement should be done on social media, as everyone has it.
“Social media is also a dangerous place, where many fall for scams or fake jobs. It gets worse in a tough economy,” he said.
Recent graduate Akmal Nizam, 24, hopes the government can clarify whether their actions will limit freedom of speech.
“I have been hearing the government talk about cracking down on social media a lot, and it is worrying to me,” he said.
University student Imran Hadi Parhan, 20, said that action should be taken to stop cyberbullying at its roots.
“If they want to stop cyberbullying, they should focus on child development, be it through incentives, guidance or warning.
“Don’t treat the symptoms but tackle the cause instead,” he added.
