‘World bodies like UNESCO think our children’s learning will be effectively supported through tried and tested
media like TV and radio.’
AN increasing number of governments are now asking if the internet and social media are really helping their children become smarter and better people, and should they be allowed continued unlimited access.
The UNESCO’s 2023 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report revealed that one in four countries has already banned digital devices in schools amid concerns on well-being and distraction from learning.
The GEM Report also concluded that “there is little robust evidence on digital technology’s added value in education.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) has even highlighted that over 10 percent of young adolescents worldwide are negatively affected by problematic social media use.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as early as 2017, has recognized the vulnerability of children in the digital age. But it nevertheless warned that an outright ban might push kids into “covert and unregulated” online spaces.
While we embraced social media as the fountain of education and information, it has become a weapon for cyberbullying, harmful content and self-harm, which can negatively impact a child’s mental and emotional well-being.
Australia, armed with a study that directly links low scores in academic subjects to excessive use of social media, is leading the global pushback by banning social media for children under 16, a move that reverberated across continents.
The Netherlands banned mobile devices in classrooms in January 2024, and France mulls to limit the social media age cap to 15 years old. Norway, Germany, and Italy now require parental consent for minors to open social media accounts with varying age restrictions.
Sweden, France, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, and Denmark are actively mulling proposals to restrict online use due to their addictive nature. Even in the US, 20 out of 50 states have implemented regulations on the use of smartphones and other digital devices in schools.
China and Bangladesh have restricted digital devices in classrooms for both teachers and students.
India, Indonesia, and South Korea are taking cues from Australia while Malaysia, Singapore, and Japan are reviewing their regulations.
In the Philippines, a proposal has been filed in Congress to integrate internet safety and social media education into the curriculums of all public schools but it still short of contemplating a social media ban for minors. Dissenting voices, however, argue that a ban for minors will hamper the flow of information essential in the learning and development of children.
But why did our Filipino students flunk the 2018 and 2022 audits of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) in math, reading and science?
This should have not been the case since the Philippines has the highest average daily Internet usage in Asia Pacific with an Internet penetration of 89.3 percent in 2024.
World bodies like UNESCO think our children’s learning will be effectively supported through tried and tested media like TV and radio.
Radio and TV instruction are still used by almost 40 countries to mentor their young like Mexico’s program of TV lessons combined with in-class support and China’s TV lessons guided by teacher.
The country celebrates Independence Day this week. Our freedom should extend to ensuring that our young is free from the clutches of social media.
