Parents Key To Curbing Social Media Risks Among Children - MCCA

KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 (Bernama) -- Parents play the most important role in controlling and monitoring their children’s use of social media, despite the government introducing various guidelines and protection mechanisms for online platforms, says the Malaysian Cyber Consumers Association (MCCA).

Its president Siraj Jalil said children’s exposure to social media was increasingly linked to inappropriate content, including toxic influences, misinformation, sexual exploitation and other harmful elements.

“Children today can access adult content and information without proper filters, which may create confusion about matters not suited to their age, especially when parental supervision is weak,” he said during a recording of *Jendela Fikir* at Wisma Bernama here today.

Siraj said many parents still lacked formal knowledge of internet use, resulting in a digital supervision gap at home.

“We cannot allow this lack of awareness to continue into the next generation. Children need clear guidance and proper digital education.

“Today, content on smartphones is no longer monitored in the way television once was. This makes the role of parents even more critical,” he said.

Commenting on the proposed restriction on social media account access for children under 16, he described the move as an important protective measure against digital threats, in line with global studies showing the age as a critical stage in adolescent psychological development.

“This is not about restricting, but protecting. The internet today is no longer a fully safe space. It has also become a haven for irresponsible parties with vested interests.

“The role of parents must be strengthened because without a sense of urgency, many may not realise the scale of existing threats or the importance of supervising their children’s use of social media,” he said.

Siraj also supported the use of digital identity verification systems such as MyDigitalID to curb the misuse of fake accounts and ensure compliance with age limits, although he acknowledged the main challenge would be preventing fraud during account registration.

He also proposed that the Education Ministry introduce a compulsory syllabus to prepare students to use social media after the age of 16, supported by strong digital literacy foundations so they would not be easily influenced by platform algorithms.

Yesterday, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the government would implement restrictions on social media account access for children under 16 as part of efforts to strengthen online protection.

He said the measure was expected to be implemented by end-June, subject to final review.

-- BERNAMA