Govt. should take cue from countries that have restricted social media for under 16s

Social media is a double edged sword, more so where children  are concerned. Hence several countries have restricted social media access for children under 16 years while Sri Lanka too is grappling with the idea. The Government has been blowing hot and cold on the issue, not saying if it wants a social media ban for children under 16 or if it only wants to restrict the use. The government's hesitation to move on the issue is understandable given that it is pushing forward with a school digitalization program which would mean allowing more  access to students to the internet, and this  would naturally lure children towards social media platforms.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya who is also the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education told Parliament recently that a pilot project is currently underway to reduce social media usage among children below the age of 16 and initial results have been successful.

She said national guidelines aimed at minimising social media usage among children under the age of 16 are being formulated while also initiating a national-level awareness program on mental health to promote children’s mental well-being.

The Prime Minister said the Government is considering a range of measures, not merely a ban on social media. Discussions are currently underway to identify the most suitable approaches for Sri Lanka, including providing guidance on social media usage and ‘Digital Health’ within the education system and other relevant areas. The final recommendations are due to be submitted to Cabinet before the end of the year.

Several countries including the UK and Australia have restricted social media use for children under 16.

In China, minors' access to social media has been restricted progressively since 2019. Indonesia has banned social media for under-16s since March and Malaysia has taken a similar approach excluding under-16s from major platforms.

This week, the UK also announced that older teenagers in the country  will face an overnight social media curfew, with apps such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube being set to be unavailable by default to 16 and 17-year-olds between midnight and 0600 hours. The move is aimed at improving teenagers’ focus, sleep quality and family life.

Banning social media isn’t easy given that children are addicted to  such platforms with parents having to devise their own rules on use. It is not always successful given that students also do online studies which means they should have access to the internet which makes it easy for them to access social media platforms. On this issue, there isn’t an easy answer unless there is a global decision to restrict social media use for certain age groups.

In Sri Lanka, pending before Parliament is a Private Member’s Bill aimed at restricting children’s access to social media platforms. The proposed legislation, titled the social media Minimum Age Bill, seeks to prohibit children under 16 from accessing social media services. The objective of enhancing online safety for children and addressing concerns surrounding their exposure to harmful digital content.

If enacted, the legislation would establish a legal framework governing the minimum age for social media access in Sri Lanka, bringing the country in line with a number of nations that have introduced or are considering similar restrictions in recent months.

Along with the many benefits of social media, there are also serious issues where unrestricted access of such platforms for children is concerned. Social media opens the door for children to be exposed to harmful content as well as to dangerous individuals and instances where children  have been subjects to sexual abuse, harassment and exploitation are many. Hence the Government needs to act soon and take cue from  countries where restrictions  are already in place and have yielded positive results.