Philippine lawmakers are advancing proposals to restrict or ban social media use for minors, citing concerns that exposure to harmful online content may be contributing to a surge in school violence.
Last month, Philippine Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara identified harmful online influences as a possible factor behind recent violent incidents. He noted, “Experts say this is partly due to exposure of young people to damaging social media sites, negative influences, groomers, and terrorist groups online actively recruiting (children).”
A bill in the House of Representatives seeks to ban social media use for children under 13, while a separate Senate proposal extends the restriction to those under 16. These measures would require online platforms to implement age and identity verification systems and deactivate accounts of underage users. Non-compliance could lead to penalties of up to 50 million Philippine pesos (US$820,000).
The push for restrictions follows a tragic event on June 22, when two students aged 14 and 15 opened fire at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, killing three students and injuring 20 others.
Students and experts have expressed concern over the situation. James Cannaveral, a student at Manila Science High School, said, “It's really worrying. We never thought this could happen, and that our lives are at stake every day that we go to school.” Cybersecurity advocate Luis Angelo Talatala of Deep Web Konek added, “They really just like the feeling of influencing others to do harm, to do violence and to kill other people since that is part of their ideology.”
However, some experts caution that blanket bans may be counterproductive. Psychologist Peejay Bengwasan, board member of the Psychological Association of the Philippines, warned, “The people who we're supposed to protect get punished, rather than the people that are supposed to be punished.” They suggest that stronger platform safeguards, counseling, and parental involvement might be more effective approaches.
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