Growing concerns over children’s online safety have led to increasing calls for social media access to be delayed until the age of 16, as experts and parents highlight escalating threats such as cyberbullying, online grooming, and exposure to harmful content.

Rather than enforcing an outright ban, the proposed approach, similar to Australia’s “delay, not ban” model, would allow existing accounts for users under 16 to remain active under parental supervision rather than being removed entirely.

UNICEF Malaysia has cautioned that children are frequently exposed to risks such as bullying, grooming, and even sexual exploitation in digital spaces, with official data reflecting a troubling upward trend.

According to Bernama, between January 2022 and Feb 15 this year, 1,578 requests were made to take down highly offensive content involving children, and 96% of these were successfully removed.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission reported receiving 8,399 cyberbullying complaints from January to October last year, averaging roughly 27 cases each day.

The hidden cost of a 24/7 digital world
Psychotherapist Prem Kumar said that harm has taken on a new dimension in the digital era, with social media intensifying risks far beyond what traditional settings once allowed.

“Today it’s 24 hours, anytime, anywhere. There is no such thing as school hours or specific places anymore,” he told FMT, warning that anonymity and scale make children far more exposed while weakening accountability.

Meanwhile, psychologist Joel Low pointed out that sheer exposure alone can be harmful. “The access social media provides is overwhelming, even for adults. For children, it can seriously affect self-esteem and their sense of identity,” he said.

Prem further warned that early encounters with online abuse can derail a critical stage of growth. Instead of building trust and confidence, adolescents may develop deep-seated insecurity and mistrust, patterns that often follow them into adulthood, affecting both relationships and emotional stability.

Growing concern among parents
Parents are increasingly voicing similar concerns, with Rebecca Lee, a mother of a 10-year-old, saying children lack the maturity to navigate online risks.

“Most under-16s simply don’t have the maturity to recognise these dangers or know how to safeguard themselves,” she said, pointing out that even seemingly harmless activities like scrolling or watching videos can unexpectedly expose them to explicit or disturbing material.

“Children can come across harmful content without warning, which may leave them confused or spark unhealthy curiosity,” she added.

While acknowledging that parental controls and reporting features can help, Lee stressed that these measures alone are insufficient to ensure children’s safety online.

Building digital resilience
Experts stress that delaying access should be viewed as just one piece of a wider harm-reduction approach, not a fix-all. Low described the move as “a good start,” but emphasised that it must go hand in hand with stronger public awareness and consistent digital education.

Prem echoed this, cautioning that regulation alone cannot tackle the root causes. “Banning alone has never worked. It has to be about guidance, digital literacy, and shared responsibility,” he said.

For parents like Rebecca, preparation needs to begin long before children go online. She stressed that open communication is key and that technology can only go so far. “No app or filter can replace parental relationships. It’s about building trust and making sure kids know they can come to their parents anytime something feels off,” she said.

Protecting children online requires more than restrictions. It calls for a collective effort involving families, schools, platforms, and policymakers to equip young users with the awareness and resilience needed to navigate the digital world safely.

Source: FMT

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

Interested in having your press releases, exclusive interviews, or branded content articles on Malaysiakini? For more information, contact [email protected] or [email protected]