Protect Children Online, Not Just on the Playground | KiddyNews

As children spend more time navigating digital spaces, experts are urging stronger protection beyond parental screen-time rules, with responsibility shared by technology companies, policymakers, schools and families.

Digital risks go beyond screen time

Children are increasingly using smartphones, tablets and online platforms from a young age. While parents can help establish healthy screen habits, excessive screen use has been associated with poorer sleep, reduced physical activity and other negative outcomes.

A systematic review of 50 studies involving more than 1.9 million adolescents also found associations between smartphone and social media use and poorer mental wellbeing.

However, the challenge extends beyond how long children spend online. Many digital platforms are designed to maximise engagement through recommendation systems and other features that encourage users to keep watching, scrolling and returning.

For children who are still developing impulse control, placing the responsibility entirely on them to stop using a device overlooks how these platforms are designed.

Children’s data also needs protection

Another concern is the collection and use of children’s personal data.

Searches, clicks and videos watched online can generate information about users, while children may not fully understand what they are agreeing to or the potential long-term consequences of data collection.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, through General Comment No. 25, recognises children’s rights to privacy, protection and access to digital technologies.

Malaysia’s Personal Data Protection Act 2010 provides protections concerning the processing of personal data, including consent requirements, but was not designed as a comprehensive child-specific digital privacy framework.

Malaysia has since taken further steps through its broader online-safety framework.

Malaysia strengthens online safety measures

The Online Safety Act 2025 came into force this year, while its Child Protection Code and Risk Mitigation Code took effect on June 1.

The framework requires online platforms to take stronger measures against harmful content and strengthen protections for children. Malaysia has also introduced age-verification measures and restrictions preventing children under 16 from maintaining social media accounts.

The focus now is whether these measures can provide effective protection in practice.

The United Kingdom’s Age Appropriate Design Code offers one possible reference point. It requires services likely to be accessed by children to consider their best interests, use high-privacy settings by default, minimise data collection and assess risks linked to profiling and other features.

Schools have a role in digital safety

Protecting children online cannot rest entirely on parents. Families may struggle to understand complex privacy policies, keep up with rapidly changing technology or monitor every online interaction.

Technology companies therefore have a responsibility to design safer digital environments, while governments need regulations that can be effectively enforced and updated as technology evolves.

Schools can also contribute by broadening digital literacy beyond simply teaching children how to use devices.

Children should learn about privacy, algorithms, online manipulation, scams, harmful content and where to seek help when something goes wrong.

Parents, meanwhile, need practical guidance and support in Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin and Tamil, rather than being told simply to remove devices from their children.

Building safer digital childhoods

The goal should not be to exclude children from the digital world. Online platforms can provide opportunities for learning, communication and participation.

Instead, children need digital environments designed with their safety and rights in mind.

Every child deserves protection that does not depend on luck or on whether their parents have the knowledge and resources to navigate the digital world.

As technology becomes increasingly sophisticated, Malaysia’s laws, platforms, schools and support systems must keep pace to ensure children can participate online safely.

Source:

Focus Malaysia – “Children need protection online, not just on the playground”

Thoughtfully adapted by KiddyNews. Keeping parents and educators informed with the latest ECCE developments from Malaysia and beyond.