KOTA KINABALU: The proposal to set a minimum age of 16 years for social media account registration is viewed as a proactive measure that aligns with efforts to protect adolescents from various alarming cyber threats.
Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSK), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Associate Professor Dr. Haryati Abdul Karim stated that establishing this age limit could reduce young users’ exposure to online content and activities that may jeopardize their safety, well-being, and development.
She noted that without appropriate age controls, teenagers, particularly those under 16, face a high risk of being exposed to harmful content such as violence, pornography, online scams, and the spread of extremist ideologies, including racism and Islamophobia.
“A study by UMS-UNICEF Communication for Development (C4D) previously found that Malaysian adolescents are exposed to at least six types of cyber threats, including violent content that can influence behavior and the risk of sexual grooming through online interactions.
“By the age of 13, most teenagers already own smartphones and begin accessing social media. Without stricter age restrictions, exposure to these threats occurs earlier and becomes harder to manage,” she commented while discussing the proposal for a minimum age limit for social media users.
Haryati mentioned that 16 years is considered an appropriate age limit, as older individuals typically possess a better level of maturity in assessing information.
Source – Sabah Media
