‘Addiction is irreversible’: Hong Kong urged to ban under-16s from social media
Hong Kong should follow international peers in legislating to bar children under 16 from social media to combat cyberbullying and addiction, education experts and lawmakers have said, while stressing the need for broad social consensus. At a panel discussion on Saturday to examine proposals to restrict social media access for under-16s, educators and lawmakers argued that legislation was needed…
Education experts and lawmakers in Hong Kong are urging the government to implement legislation that would prohibit children under the age of 16 from using social media platforms. This recommendation comes as a response to the growing concerns over cyberbullying and addiction among young users. During a panel discussion, educators and lawmakers emphasized that such legislation would serve as a signal of the government's stance and help protect the next generation from the potential harm caused by social media.
Lilian Chan Lui Ling-yee, an experienced educator and honorary president of the Yan Oi Association of Principals, stressed that social media addiction is the most pressing issue facing education today. She argued that without legislation, the future of the younger generation would be at risk. A survey conducted by the New Youth Forum found that 61.8% of respondents, primarily parents, supported legislation restricting social media use for under-16s, while 51.7% of 18- to 29-year-olds opposed the move.
Lawmaker Duncan Chiu acknowledged the difficulty of enacting such a law due to Hong Kong's commitment to information freedom and the challenges posed by mainland China's model. However, he suggested that policymakers and the education sector could identify implementation areas and loopholes at the execution level, starting with schools and eventually extending to homes.
Challenges in implementing any ban include age verification, finding alternative activities for young people, and holding platforms responsible for addictive algorithms and harmful content. Professor Paul Yip Siu-fai of the University of Hong Kong's department of social work and social administration highlighted the need for real-name registration and replacing teenagers' attachment to social media with real-life activities and offline support.
France and Britain have already taken steps to restrict smartphone use in schools, with France banning mobile phones for students up to middle school since 2018 and Britain introducing a statutory ban on smartphones in state-funded schools in England on June 29.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post - Hong Kong's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
