Social Media Age Limit Reduces Internet Addiction And Prevents Cyberbullying - Experts

By Muhammad Saufee Rosman

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 (Bernama) -- The digital usage norms within Malaysian families, including internet addiction, can be reduced if the proposal to limit those under 16 years of age from having social media accounts is implemented, according to technology and human communication experts.

Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam senior lecturer at the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies,  Dr. Hamizah Sahharon said that enforcing the proposal could also curb cyberbullying and sexual harassment, in line with the objectives of the Online Safety Act 2025 (Act 866) to create a safer internet ecosystem for children and adolescents

"The government's move will have a positive impact by reducing adolescents' exposure to toxic content and the risk of digital exploitation," she told Bernama.

Act 866 was gazetted on May 22 and is expected to come into force on Jan 1, 2026. It aims to strengthen online safety in Malaysia through the regulation of harmful content, the establishment of responsibilities for application and network service providers, and the implementation of specific safety standards.

Previously, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil emphasised the need to implement a 16-year age limit for social media use to protect children and adolescents from the risk of exploitation and exposure to inappropriate content.

Elaborating further, Hamizah said that if the policy is implemented correctly, it will also open up space for more controlled digital education, strengthen the role of parents in monitoring their children, and increase the accountability of social media platforms under the online safety plan.

She expressed concern that young users might migrate to the digital 'underground' using fake accounts to bypass age verification, exposing them to extreme content without algorithmic control, in addition to privacy and data security issues.

In this regard, Hamizah suggested that social media platforms be required to implement a valid age verification system without compromising user privacy, in addition to ensuring that their online safety plans are audited regularly to comply with the standards of the Online Safety Act 2025.

"To ensure the success of this policy, the most critical elements are the digital platform's compliance with security audits and age verification, as well as the implementation of a national digital education plan involving parents, schools and communities, thus child protection can be achieved without creating a digital divide or unwanted side effects," she added.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Cyber Consumers Association (MCCA) president Siraj Jalil said allowing 17-year-olds to have social media accounts might encourage them to spend excessive time on these platforms, thus affecting their focus when taking the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations.

In this regard, he suggested that the government strengthen several components covering various aspects in the implementation of this policy, particularly digital literacy among parents and children, such as practicing the UNESCO Digital Literacy Framework drafted in 2018.

“Among its main components, it emphasises the correct use of operating devices. Additionally, it includes information literacy, which is how someone should understand and evaluate information received through the internet, as each form of content has methods and procedures that need to be taught.

“That's why threats to children occur when they fail to understand the content. Things like paedophilia, for example, require knowledge to identify the risks. Awareness alone is not enough because criminals are always looking for ways to trap victims," he said.

However, Siraj said 16-year-olds in Malaysia are considered less mature and still need guidance compared to their peers in Australia after the country implemented a policy limiting the age for social media account ownership, starting yesterday (Dec 10).

From a mother's perspective, Izzati Ismail, 35, agrees that if the government limits children under 16 from using social media as this can help protect the emotions and development of children who are not yet mature enough to manage digital stress.

The mother of two said that limiting social media use can also bring positive changes to children's development, including allowing them to focus more on learning, physical activities and direct social interaction.

"When social media access is limited, children can focus on their real routines and avoid the pressure of strange trends. However, as parents, we are still worried that they will find a way around it because there are many videos now that are not suitable for their age, so we ourselves need to monitor them more closely," she added.

-- BERNAMA