THE deadly shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City on June 22 has drawn prompt reactions from our lawmakers, searching for answers for an anguished public. With three students dead and 20 others injured in the tragedy, lawmakers have rushed to push for the passage of the proposed Social Media Safety Act that aims to restrict access to social media for those aged 16 and younger. It sounds logical to some, but banning children from social media alone will not entirely solve this problem. It may even create new pathways for young people to access more dangerous online sites.
In the wake of one of the most shocking incidents of school violence in recent Philippine history, Filipinos are being led to believe that social media triggered the violent disposition of the teenage suspects and their decision to fire upon their classmates. This may be partly true, but social media merely stoked their mental disorders that triggered the crime.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, many of our Filipino youth have been struggling with low self-esteem and depression, as well as a wide range of mental anxieties. Unlike their forebears, young Filipinos’ exposure to social media has not necessarily made them more connected with others. Instead, it only created artificial lenses that deepened their disconnection from an increasingly volatile environment. Young people today encounter more complex challenges than my generation, even at staggering levels — violence, self-absorption, low self-esteem, insecurity and indifference.
Banning them from social media may be an immediate measure to pacify the growing anxieties of teachers and parents who see this technology as the source of many emotional stressors that trigger negative behavior. And many researchers actually found a strong correlation between excessive social media use and mental health problems — including depression — among young people. In fact, social media adversely affected learning outcomes among Filipino students across all levels. Yet, in truth, social media merely amplifies the deeply rooted problems already afflicting many young people today: broken families, illegal drugs, teenage pregnancies, bullying and suicides. Social media is not the ultimate cause, but merely a mediating variable.
Banning social media altogether will only make young people find creative ways of accessing it. Worse, they may enter online domains that are darker and even more dangerous. Restricting social media also hinders students from accessing online lessons, especially those struggling in congested classrooms. History has repeatedly shown that the prohibition of widely demanded goods often creates unsafe and poorly regulated underground markets.
However, I do agree with regulation rather than completely banning social media platforms, not just for children but for every Filipino. Social media contains a vast universe of information, videos and posts, many of which are false and capable of spreading tension and instability, even conflict. Also, many Filipinos spend idle hours scrolling through social media sites that contribute nothing to the country’s productivity.
Social media is today’s version of broadcast television and radio. These conventional channels of information were once regulated by the State while still recognizing freedom of speech and expression. It is, therefore, logical to establish guardrails on social media use, given how much it has been abused and weaponized against individuals and institutions. With such powerful technology, personal responsibility must be seriously imposed and promoted, especially when users post fake news or disinformation.
In the wake of the deep polarization and low public trust in the state, it is appropriate to study the implications of social media platforms on the health and resilience of our democratic institutions. Likewise, national legislation must, therefore, focus on raising the quality of conversation and content on social media. Those who deliberately sow confusion and conflict should be sanctioned under the law. Children must continue to have access to curated platforms that support learning and classroom collaboration. Content that promotes violence, intimidation and other harmful behaviors must be restricted.
Banning social media is as impossible as banning books and pamphlets during the 20th century. How much more difficult would it be to restrict a technology whose influence has reached nearly every aspect of life? It is like stopping river currents with pebbles. Social media will remain ubiquitous for years to come, and we can do little but temper its negative effects while taking advantage of its positive benefits.
However, for as long as 20 million Filipinos fall below the poverty line, deprived of opportunity, and trapped in idleness, low productivity and joblessness, social media will continue to fracture our Philippine nation and deepen our divisions. Our options seemed limited: a moratorium or light-touch regulation. But if we fail to address the deeper social structures that make our youth more vulnerable to mental anxieties, then no amount of measures to address social media will save the day.
