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Recently, the discussion over whether to ban social media for children has sparked debate. Advocates argue it could protect children from online bullying, addiction, and inappropriate content. However, critics highlight that social media offers educational value and helps children build digital skills. The challenge is to find a balance—regulations to ensure safety without limiting the benefits of technology.
In Favor of Social Media Use for Children
Digital Literacy and Skill Development:
- Importance in Education: In India, the education system is increasingly integrating digital tools into the curriculum, highlighting the necessity for children to develop digital skills to be employable in the future.
- Positive Engagements: Research indicates that when parents support their children’s online activities, it can maximize the benefits of digital engagement while mitigating potential harms.
Access to Information and Learning:
- Social media provides children with access to a wealth of information, educational content, and opportunities to learn and grow in various fields.
Parental Guidance:
- With proper parental guidance and support, children can navigate social media safely and use it as a tool for learning and socialization.
Innovation in Safety Features:
- International Examples: Initiatives like the U.K.’s Age-Appropriate Design Code have led to significant changes on platforms such as Meta, Google, and TikTok, improving child safety and privacy through better default settings.
Against Social Media Use for Children
Exposure to Harm:
- Risks of Online Harm: There is growing concern about children being exposed to harmful content, cyberbullying, and other dangers on social media, especially given the rise in online time during the pandemic.
Difficulty in Enforcement:
- Challenges of Age Verification: Implementing and enforcing age limits on social media platforms is complex and often ineffective. Children can easily circumvent barriers, and ID-based verification may be challenging for less literate populations.
- Examples from Other Countries: South Korea’s Cinderella Law, which banned gaming for children during certain hours, led to cases of identity theft as children sought ways to bypass restrictions.
Parental Burden and Digital Literacy:
- Low Digital Literacy in India: With low digital literacy rates and widespread shared device usage, expecting parents to effectively monitor and guide their children’s online activities may not be practical.
- Parental Overwhelm: Parents often feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of managing their children’s digital engagements, especially when media narratives are highly focused on extreme cases of harm.
Lack of Comprehensive Regulation:
- Regulatory Gaps: India currently lacks comprehensive regulations like the Age-Appropriate Design Code that mandate platforms to prioritize child safety by default. While guidelines exist for the entertainment industry, broader measures for social media are not in place.
Ethical Concerns Around “Sharenting”:
- Privacy Issues: The practice of “sharenting” (parents sharing their children’s personal data online) raises concerns about children’s privacy. As children grow up, they may seek to erase online content that was posted without their consent.
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