Forum: Consider firmer, upfront restrictions for children on social media

I refer to the commentary by Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo (Beyond social media bans: Building a safer digital world for children, May 12). While the concept of “training wheels” for social media appears balanced, as a parent, I am concerned by the lack of urgency.

In the digital landscape, delays almost always benefit the platforms, not the young people.

Currently, the threshold for using some social media platforms is set at 13 years old. I think this is inappropriate. The secondary school years are a formative period when young people are most susceptible to influence and peer pressure. Adolescents aged 13 and above are the very group that requires more regulatory help, not less.

Safeguarding this age group is increasingly critical. At this stage, the natural drive for autonomy often makes adolescents resist the parental boundaries that worked during primary school. This is a vulnerable period because parental oversight is lower just as online risks become much higher.

These platforms’ business models depend on maximising engagement, and this commercial agenda is increasingly displacing the influence of parents and schools.

A consultative, gradual approach risks becoming a “losing game” in which platforms move at full speed while policies remain behind the curve. By the time one harmful feature is studied, several more have emerged to capture the next cohort.

This is a profound and growing social challenge that goes beyond what parents can handle alone. Instead of prolonged negotiations, Singapore should implement firmer restrictions upstream. It should establish these boundaries first before engaging in further discussions with social media platforms.

Singapore has historically succeeded by acting decisively when systemic risks emerge. The country’s stance on vaping offers a clear parallel: it intervened early because products were evolving to become more addictive.

A “wait-and-see” approach may carry consequences for youth mental well-being that become fully visible only when it is too late.

Joseph Lim