KOTA SAMARAHAN: The proposed blanket ban on social media use for individuals under the age of 16, which Malaysia plans to implement from 2026, is expected to bring more benefits than harm, particularly in safeguarding children’s emotional, social and cognitive development.
Khairunnisa Asri, a lecturer from the Department of Early Childhood Education at the Institut Pendidikan Guru (IPG) Kampus Tun Abdul Razak, Kota Samarahan said the move should be viewed as an early protective measure rather than a restriction on technological progress.
“Children below the age of 16 are still in the process of developing self-control, emotional maturity and social identity.
“Unregulated exposure to social media increases the risks of screen addiction, cyberbullying and emotional stress,” she said when sharing her views on the proposed policy.
From an early childhood education perspective, she said a safe and controlled environment is crucial to support holistic development, especially during the formative years.
Khairunnisa noted that the ban could also help children focus more on formal learning and face-to-face social interaction, which are essential for language development, emotional regulation and social skills.
“When social media use is limited, children have more opportunities to engage in structured learning activities, meaningful play and real-world social interaction, all of which are foundational to holistic development,” she said.
However, she cautioned that the policy could be less effective if implemented without sufficient digital education and guidance.
“A total ban without proper digital literacy education may lead children to access social media secretly without adult supervision, which could expose them to greater online safety risks.
“An overly strict restrictions may also leave children unprepared to manage social media responsibly once they reach the permitted age,” she said.
She stressed that the ban must be complemented by continuous digital literacy and online safety education that is appropriate to children’s developmental stages.
According to her, digital literacy goes beyond technical skills and includes understanding digital ethics, personal safety and responsible technology use.
She said the Preschool Curriculum 2026 provides a strong foundation to support the policy as it emphasises exploration-based learning, play and meaningful experiences while allowing controlled use of age-appropriate digital tools such as interactive learning applications and gamification.
“The focus is on building values, self-regulation and safety awareness, rather than providing access to social media platforms,” she said.
She added that a higher level, digital literacy should be strengthened through higher-order thinking skills, critical thinking and ethical technology use.
Khairunnisa said teacher training institutions such as IPG play an important role in preparing digitally literate educators through exposure to digital pedagogy, including gamification and artificial intelligence (AI), in line with 21st-century education needs.
On enforcement, she acknowledged that implementing a blanket ban would be challenging given the widespread access to digital devices, but said the policy remains important as a clear national guideline to protect children’s wellbeing.
“The effectiveness of enforcement depends heavily on cooperation among parents, schools and educators.
“Parents play a key monitoring role at home, while schools act as agents of digital literacy education,” she said.
She added that with clear curriculum direction, continuous education and shared commitment from all stakeholders, the social media ban could be implemented gradually and realistically, rather than merely as a temporary measure.
