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I HAVE been closely following the recent debate on social media control for younger users in the wake of violent episodes among schoolchildren apparently stemming from excessive screen time.
As a parent with children who are now young adults, it is disheartening to see the marked difference in behaviour between the schoolkids of just a decade ago and today. Though social media has been around for some time now, the rampant increase in its accessibility and the fact that children today are exposed to screens much earlier in life certainly has a role to play in explaining today’s social ills.
I therefore applaud government efforts to regulate the use of social media, especially among our vulnerable younger teens and children. That said, the recent news that the government is mulling a complete ban on social media platforms for users under the age of 16 does raise some concerns about the efficacy of the move and the operability of its regulation.
In terms of efficacy, an outright ban, especially against something as ubiquitous as social media, will not likely solve the underlying problem of its excessive use and accessibility. In today’s digitised world, it is not feasible to expect children not to have access to a mobile device or computer until the age of 16. With this in mind, a ban on social media for those under 16 is an unrealistic prospect. If children, especially tech-savvy teens, have access to computers, they will more than likely find ways to circumvent restrictions.
If anything, banning social media will likely make it more appealing to children. We see this phenomenon throughout adolescence, where over-restrictiveness often leads to rebellion. Of course, I am not suggesting that we should simply grant children free rein on that pretext. But in the context of social media access, it would be far better to regulate its use than to implement an outright ban.
Additionally, I also question the operability of regulating such a ban. Recently, Communi-cations Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil announced that the government will be mandating the use of electronic “Know Your Client” (e-KYC) verification to ensure that users registering on social media are above 13 years old. This in itself is a slippery slope for several reasons.
Firstly, there is the matter of whether social media companies will be required to store the data of users and for how long. Considering that social media platforms already seem to know their users’ online habits based on algorithmic patterns, giving away crucial personal information such as identification seems an unnecessary additional surrender of privacy.
The government would also need to give assurance against the possibility of data breaches or identity theft. Despite governmental regulatory efforts, a MyCert (Malaysia Computer Emergency Response Team) report in June said that Malaysia has witnessed a 29% increase in data breaches in the first quarter of 2025 alone. Mandating social media users to undergo an e-KYC process simply increases the exposure of highly personal data and puts users at a higher risk of a loss of privacy.
The societal ills of today need more than just blocking younger children from social media. For sure, regulation is a must – and this responsibility falls across the board from parents to teachers all the way up to social media providers. But we must also accept the fact that social media is now a part of daily life and banning it may only work to increase its popularity.
JOANNE TAN MEI SUAN
Petaling Jaya
