Unfiltered streaming content may trigger identity confusion among children
He stressed the role of parents in filtering and monitoring the content their children consume.
SHAH ALAM – Concerns over foreign digital content on streaming platforms containing LGBTQ and other deviant elements have raised alarms about their potential impact on children and adolescents, particularly those still in the process of forming their personal identity.
Previously, industry players warned that a significant portion of foreign dramas and films available on Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming platforms contain elements that contradict Malaysia’s religious, cultural and moral values, with such content easily accessible to all age groups, including minors.
Universiti Putra Malaysia Human Ecology Faculty Deputy Dean (Postgraduate Studies, Industry and Community Networking) Associate Professor Dr Zainal Madon said children and teenagers exposed to media highlighting deviant elements risk experiencing identity confusion.
He said such exposure not only affects identity formation but may also disrupt emotional stability and interpersonal relationships.
“Incorrect upbringing and exposure to dramas and films that highlight deviant elements can confuse children in the formation of their identity.
“This can lead to emotional instability as well as identity confusion,” he told Sinar.
He stressed the role of parents in filtering and monitoring the content their children consume, including through streaming platforms, while also encouraging open discussions grounded in positive values, religion and culture.
“Signs of identity confusion usually emerge when children display mixed personalities, for example sometimes wanting to present themselves as male and at other times as female.
“As early as the age of 10, such tendencies may begin to appear, and if not addressed appropriately, they risk leading to more serious confusion,” he said.
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