Survey: Seven in 10 Malaysians back social media ban for children below 14

 

Most Malaysians agree that children under 14 should not be allowed to use social media, but opinions are divided on banning smartphones in schools, reports said. - Pic generated by AI, for illustration purposes

KUALA LUMPUR: Most Malaysians agree that children under 14 should not be allowed to use social media, but opinions are divided on banning smartphones in schools, reports said.

According to a report by Sinar Harian, quoting findings from the Ipsos Malaysian Education Monitor 2025 survey, seven in 10 Malaysians supported proposals to restrict social media access for children under 14.

The survey, conducted between June 20 and July 4 this year, revealed that 71 per cent of global respondents and 72 per cent of Malaysian respondents believed social media affects children's education and should be restricted.

Only 25 per cent of global respondents and 24 per cent of Malaysians disagreed with this view.

However, opinions were split on banning smartphones in schools, both in Malaysia and globally.

The survey revealed that 71 per cent of global respondents and 72 per cent of Malaysian respondents believed social media affects children’s education and should be restricted. - File pic

Based on the Ipsos education monitor, only 52 per cent of Malaysian respondents agreed with the proposal, compared with 55 per cent globally.

Nearly four in 10 Malaysians opposed banning smartphones in schools — a higher proportion than the 30 per cent global average.

Ipsos said parents viewed smartphones as important for safety and maintaining communication with their children, with concerns focused more on the content accessed rather than the devices themselves.

The survey involved 23,700 adults under the age of 75 across 30 countries, including 500 respondents from Malaysia. - NST