For learning and entertainment: Siblings Arruzain Izzul (left), eight, and Arrizqy Izzran, 10, watching a TikTok video on a smartphone at their home in Shah Alam. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
JOHOR BARU: For many Generation Alpha or Gen Alpha kids, a world without social media is unimaginable as they were born in the digital age.
Born in the early 2010s, these “digital natives” are the first generation to grow up with the Internet fully a part of daily life.
Year Five pupil A’isy Qayyum Noor Azleen said he cannot imagine a ban on social media for children like him as he relies heavily on YouTube for tutorials and entertainment.
“I have a YouTube account where I watch movies and gaming videos. I also frequently watch tutorials on how to make stop-motion and animation, which I am passionate about.
“I hope to create my own stop-motion content one day,” said the 12-year-old in an interview.
A’isy Qayyum added that he does not have a personal device and accesses social media using his mother’s smartphone.
His mother also limits his social media usage and password protects him against content that is unsuitable for children, he said.
A’isy Qayyum said disallowing children from using social media would be a bad idea as there were “tons of things” to learn on the Internet.
“We will be missing out on a lot without the Internet. I hope (the ban) will not happen in Malaysia or I will suggest to my parents that we relocate to another country,” he said.
He was responding to Australia’s move to pass new laws banning children under 16 from social media as its Prime Minister Anthony Albanese vows to crack down on tech giants failing to protect vulnerable users.
Platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram would be held responsible for enforcing the age ban, Albanese said, and they would face potentially hefty fines for failing to do so.
Another teenage social media user, Kenny Lai, feels that a social media ban for children under 12 was more reasonable than a cutoff age of 16.
“I disagree with the social media ban because not everyone uses social media for inappropriate content. I enjoy watching cooking videos on TikTok and often tune in to livestreams of content creators solving difficult mathematics problems.
“I also use my social media accounts to connect with my friends and cousins who are living in other states,” said the Form Three student.
Year Two pupil Goh Yee En, who has yet to have her own social media account, said she uses her mother’s smartphone to access online entertainment on apps such as Facebook, Instagram and Xiaohongshu, a popular China social media platform.
“My mum allows me to use the apps under her supervision, but I hope there will not be a social media ban for kids under 16.
“I like to listen to songs and watch music videos of my favourite bands.
“I also watch gaming videos and learn how to play Minecraft and Roblox and then teach my mum. This gives us common topics to talk about,” added the eight-year-old.
