Help children cope with under-16 social media ban, parents told

NUTP secretary-general Fouzi Singon says children will need help to overcome the 'culture shock' and return to normal life.

Many children are raised in households where technology has been used to pacify them or keep them occupied, says a unionist.

PETALING JAYA:

 Parents must take responsibility to guide their children once a ban on social media use for children under 16 kicks in next year, says an official of the National Union of the Teaching Profession

NUTP secretary-general Fouzi Singon said the ban is likely to trigger a “culture shock” among teenagers who have grown up steeped in digital communication, and parental involvement and guidance would be vital during this period.

He said children must continue to engage in healthy activities such as sports and social gatherings to ensure their mental and social development is not disrupted.

“Parents need to understand that managing this transition is their responsibility,” he told FMT.

The government has announced that social media access will be restricted for children below 16 next year in a move to curb cybercrime, protect minors from sexual predators, and reduce unregulated exposure to online content.

An identity verification system will be introduced later next year to enable media platforms to detect underage users.

Fouzi said many children today are raised in households where technology was used to pacify them or keep them occupied. “As a result, they grew up reliant on social media as their primary mode of interaction,” he said.

Dr Ahmad Rostam Zin, a psychiatrist and member of the Malaysia Psychiatric Association, said teenagers who have developed online alter egos may be the most affected by the ban.

“Teenagers who rely on social media as their only significant interaction or source of recognition will have difficulty acclimatising to the rule initially,” he said.

Rostam said parents and the government should be prepared for “elements of rebellion and aggression” when the ban kicks in, and for some teenagers to attempt to beat the system to maintain their online presence.

He said Malaysia can take cues from other countries on the use of large-scale social media detoxification programmes to help teenagers adapt to the changes. An example was South Korea, where the government funds camps and centres to treat internet addiction.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Subash Kumar Pillai said parents “really need to step up to spend time with their children”.

He said parents too often “complained that their child is on the phone all the time, but it seems like the pot is calling the kettle black”. - FMT