SHAH ALAM - While today’s teenagers are born into a digitally connected world and an increasingly digital-reliant workforce, their access to digital spaces is currently under siege.
Often framed as a safety precaution, under-16 ban legislation disproportionately removes and isolates young people from online spaces, alienating the very generation that understands digital platforms the best.
Parents and experts are now warning that such heavy-handed regulations, while well-intentioned on the surface, may ultimately do more harm than good.
Malaysian content creator, digital coach and also a mother, Wan Fatin Sufina, said removing youths’ digital access does not eliminate the problem; it merely transforms it into something far more dangerous.
"Teens today are digital natives. They will work around the system. They will find ways. When that happens, they are not just online, but they are online unprepared and unguided. That is more dangerous,” she emphasised during a recent podcast with Sinar Daily.
Unicef, the United Nations agency for children, has similarly warned that social media bans come with their own risks and they may even backfire.
Unicef also stated that for many children, especially those who are isolated or marginalised, social media is a lifeline providing access to learning, connection, and self-expression.
Consequently, the organisation is calling for a more rights-respecting approach, including children’s rights to access information, express views, protect privacy and have freedom of thought.
Malaysian human rights lawyers organisation, Lawyers for Liberty, has also criticised the local government’s move to ban social media as a knee-jerk and superficial response, which fails to deal with the root cause.
Lawyers for Liberty also cautioned the government against giving a false illusion that the issue is being addressed, whilst not doing anything really effective to tackle the problem.
Fears or concerns surrounding online platforms often stem from a fundamental misconception or lack of understanding.
Unlike previous generations, today’s youths are not discovering digital spaces later in life. They are born into them.
Content Forum CEO Mediha Mahmood, who is also a mother, asserted during a recent Sinar Daily podcast that: “Youths are digital natives. They’re called digital natives for a reason, and digital skills are life skills.“
“When I had to send my first son to school after having him at home and under my care, I would worry about everything. You worry about him having to cross the road. You worry about him being bullied. You worry about him being discriminated against by teachers.
“But, do you tell him to never go out? No. You let him go out, but you equip him with the knowledge and the tools to be resilient out there. How do you cross the road safely? What do you do when someone bullies you? These are the lessons that should be mirrored in their life online.
“Parents need to equip their children with the same kind of tools and knowledge to face these risks. You can’t shelter them forever. You can’t ban youths, then you send them out at 16 years old and expect them to know everything. You need to have gradual and continuous conversations about these things.
“Children will grow up to become teenagers, to become adults, who need to have that resilience. For example, financial scams, they need to know the red flags that they should look out for.
“They need to look out for people who might be bullying, scamming, or grooming them. It is a lot better if you hold their hand through the entire process. We’re talking about parents taking that digital journey together with the child.
“Why is guided exposure and education something I’m advocating for? It’s exactly because you gain life skills and experience from living it. You need to gain digital experience from being in the digital space, guided by the safeguards of the platforms and the parents’ supervision,” Mediha said.
Most teens today demonstrate exceptional digital fluency, navigating online environments with speed, instinct and discernment.
Ironically, data from the Royal Malaysian Police’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) shows that 54 per cent of losses from online fraud cases involve victims aged 50 and above, clearly corroborating the advice from experts that digital literacy isn’t age-related.
Correspondingly, millions of digital-savvy youths and young adults in Malaysia have built thriving livelihoods in the digital economy, supporting their families as content creators and e-commerce entrepreneurs.
Experts, including Unicef, have urged governments, regulators, and tech companies to work together with children and families to build a digital space that is safe, inclusive, and respects children’s rights.