{
  "id": 329381,
  "title": "Calls for greater push to wean young off social media",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/calls-for-greater-push-to-wean-young-off-social-media-329381",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-08T10:25:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RTHK News",
    "slug": "rthk-news",
    "url": "https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1865473-20260808.htm"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A think tank has called for increased efforts to tackle addictive social media usage among young people, with Hong Kong potentially following suit as other regions implement restrictions. Ray Poon, research director of PoD Research Institute, suggested stronger regulation could be considered, rather than a complete ban on under-16s. He proposed regulating features like infinite scrolling, personalized ads, and overnight notifications to curb addiction. Poon also emphasized the importance of involving parents, schools, and other stakeholders in providing guidelines and educating the younger generation. However, challenges have arisen in countries with blanket bans, such as VPN usage and loophole exploitation. The UK's proposed age verification system for adult content faced privacy concerns in the past.",
  "summary": "A think tank has urged authorities to step up efforts to address addictive social media use among children and adolescents. Ray Poon, research director of PoD Research Institute, said now might be a good time for Hong Kong to consider stronger regulation as more and more places worldwide are restricting or banning social media for children under 16. He said while a blanket ban for under-16s might…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/329381.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "RTHK English",
        "title": "Calls for greater push to wean young off social media",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/calls-for-greater-push-to-wean-young-off-social-media",
        "published": "2026-08-08T10:25:29.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}