THERE is no clear scientific evidence that social media directly cause young people to become more violent, mental health and child protection specialists said on Thursday, pointing to family dynamics, school environments and emotional expression as other factors.
Responding to a question from The Manila Times, Dr. Anthony Grecia, auditor of the Philippine Mental Health Association Inc., said the apparent rise in reported youth violence does not necessarily mean young people today are more aggressive.
He said young people need supportive environments at home and in school where they can express their emotions constructively.
Grecia noted that some families discourage children from expressing their feelings, while some school environments may not respond positively when students speak up.
Psychological Association of the Philippines Executive Secretary Dr. Ver Reyes said violence is a complex issue influenced by culture, family dynamics and peer support.
“There’s no real link that social media is the sole and only cause,” Reyes said, adding that social media make violent incidents easier to record, share and see.
Ace Diloy, child protection specialist at Stairway Foundation, urged policymakers to examine specific platform features that may harm children instead of treating social media as a whole as the problem.
He cited infinite scrolling and algorithms that recommend content as features that warrant closer examination and regulation.
“Instead of saying, ‘stop everything,’” Diloy said, authorities should regulate harmful social media features.
The specialists made their remarks during a Quezon City briefing opposing a proposed blanket social media ban for Filipinos under 18. They called instead for stronger online safeguards, digital literacy and stricter enforcement of platform policies.
