Should India Follow Australia’s Lead In Banning Social Media For Children Under 16?

Does your little one have a social media account? A lot of children nowadays do so it wouldn’t be surprising if your answer is yes. But, do you know what impact it has on your child? 

A 15-year-old class X boy from Thiruvananthapuram allegedly committed suicide on 17th November. You know why? His aunt asked him to focus on his studies and took away his phone. 

Easy access to social media means easy access to all the information and content that is available online, ‘without any filters’. Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, recently announced that Australia is going to impose a ban on social media for children below 16. The big question is, ‘Should India follow Australia’s lead and impose a similar ban?’ Parentune  connected with our Parentune parents to know how they feel about it. 

Should Social Media Be Banned For Children Under 16 In India?

We asked this question to some parents and here’s what some had to say:

“I strongly recommend such implementation in our country too, at least till the child passes class 10. Mental health and self-ability are greatly hindered due to the constant use of social media components like meta-AI. The use of social media among children, especially teens, has too many flaws in several ways.” - Dr. Shabeena Shah 

“Yes, the sooner the better. Easy access to social media does more harm than good to these young, tender minds.” - Ms. Shabina Shafi

“Definitely, otherwise we would be looking at a generation of people chronically online and unable to adapt to social customs and the outside world” - Mr. Fahad

“Absolutely! I believe social media should be banned up to the age of 20.” - Mr. Tahir 

“Absolutely! I did not expose my child to watching TV or mobile phone until 3 years of age. And that’s why he was calm, easy to manage and overall a happy child, as compared to other children I see around me.” - Anonymous    

All the parents that we connected with were in favour of such a ban in India as well. 

The Birth Of Social Media 

It seems like it was just yesterday but it’s almost 30 years since the first recognizable social media site, Six Degrees (1997) was created. A platform that allowed users to upload their pictures and connect with other users. Exactly 7 years later, in 2004, India welcomed its first true social media platform, Orkut, which gained tremendous popularity. Around the same time, the United States had the launch of Facebook (earlier Facemash), a platform that took the world by storm. This was followed by the launch of many other platforms, some of which became defunct, such as Meerkat and Vine, while others we continue to use even today. 

How Social Media Affects Our Children 

In today’s world, social media has become a very powerful tool that has increased connectivity to the extent that physical distance doesn’t seem to bother people living poles apart. Nonetheless, it has a negative side too, especially for children. A 2022 study has shown that ‘Using Instagram or Snapchat before 11 is related to more problematic digital behaviour such as cyberbullying, having only online friends, visiting inappropriate websites, and more. Let’s try to understand how social media usage can impact our children. 

#1 Body Image Concern & Eating Disorders: 

Social Media can have a detrimental impact on a child’s self-esteem and body image. Being constantly exposed to unrealistic beauty standards and unachievable ideas of perfection can negatively influence small children and teens. A study on ‘Social Media Effects Regarding Eating Disorders And Body Image In Young Adolescents’ has brought to light ‘the link between social media usage and the development of binge eating disorder patterns and undesirable body image judgments.’ 

Relentlessly chasing unrealistic beauty standards, promoted by their favourite influencers and celebrities, can lead to the development of unhealthy behaviours like dieting, fasting, or overexercising. Not being able to achieve these goals can further worsen the situation, resulting in anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. The study also suggests that teenage girls are at an alarmingly high risk of developing eating disorders, which can give rise to emotional breakdown and severe medical problems. “Compared to boys, girls are three times more likely to exhibit an eating disorder by the age of 15 years.” The most common of these are:

1. Anorexia nervosa - It is a psychiatric disorder characterised by a very restricted intake of food owing to the fear of gaining weight. People suffering from it may use laxatives or induce vomiting to purge food.

2. Bulimia nervosa - The disorder is characterised by excessive intake of food or overeating followed by instant regret/guilt that leads to purging, fasting, and stressing about weight gain. 

3. Binge eating - The disorder is characterised by excessive intake of food, especially junk, over a short span of time, to the extent that one starts experiencing discomfort. 

Signs That A Child Has Body Image Concern & Eating Disorders: 

These signs may suggest that a child has body image concerns or an eating disorder:

1. If your child is overly concerned about the way they look

2. If your child obsessively focuses on eating less, and skipping meals, to reduce calorie intake

3. If your child is constantly comparing themselves with others

4. If your child isolates themselves from social gatherings and eats alone

5. If your child is frequently checking themselves in the mirror or tend to avoid the mirror 

6. If your child is frequently asking people about their opinion on how they look

7. If your child avoids going out, especially during day time

8. If your child seems anxious and depressed 

9. If your child avoids wearing clothes they earlier loved

#2 Cyberbullying:

Bullying refers to the repeated and intentional use of certain words and actions to target a person or a group. Bullying can be physical or verbal. The digital era has given birth to a new dimension of bullying i.e. cyberbullying, in which the bullies target people online, making harsh comments, hurdling abuses, and even threatening. A 2022 McAfee study revealed that a staggering 85% of Indian children were cyberbullied. What may start as a harmless taunt can end up becoming a vicious cycle of mental abuse that can gravely impact a child’s overall well-being? The different forms of cyberbullying include:

1. Flaming - Using offensive language, calling names, and hurdling abuses to intentionally provoke someone or start an argument.

2. Harassment - Making someone feel embarrassed by constantly using slurs, sending rude texts, and making fun of them. 

3. Denigrations - Spreading false information and rumours about someone with the intention of humiliating them.

4. Masquerading - Creating a fake identity to harass people online and spread hate without revealing identity or pretending to be someone else. 

5. Impersonating - Pretending to be someone and posting hate content & wrong information to tarnish their image. 

6. Trickery & Doxing - Tricking someone into revealing their secrets and sensitive information and sharing the same online without their consent with the intention of causing embarrassment.

7. Exclusion - Intentionally removing someone from an online group to make them feel inferior and question their self-worth.

8. Sexting - Sharing explicit texts, videos, pictures, and voice notes with the aim of harassing the other person.  

9. Trolling - Targeting someone with provocative messages to trigger a reaction, argument, or even conflict. 

Signs That A Child Is Being Cyberbullied: 

There is a possibility that a child is being cyberbullied if:

1. They tend to become upset or aggressive after using social media

2. They spend more time isolated in their room and avoid social gatherings

3. They are very secretive about their digital life and avoid discussing it

4. They seem to have lost interest in activities they used to love

5. Their grades are slipping and they are losing interest in their studies

6. There is a sudden change in their sleep pattern and eating habits

7. They become very nervous or tense when they get a call or text.

#3 Online Grooming:

The term online grooming is used to describe the tactics that online predators (also known as groomers) use to lure small children and sexually exploit them. It starts with building an emotional connection by finding something in common and then manipulating the child to win their trust, only to break it later. Frankly, grooming is not something that social media gave birth to. In fact, it existed way before. However, it has made it easier for groomers to find new targets. 

Online grooming has become a global emergency, especially after the pandemic. In an interview, Ashok Kumar, regional vice president of the International Justice Mission, shared “During Covid-19, pornography industries reduced their target audience age from 18 to 10. Children are exposed to adult content through cartoon figures. Online grooming is done through games and messenger apps.” 

So, how does online grooming work? Well, there are a number of stages involved and you will be surprised to know that what may seem like a harmless hi/hello is actually a carefully orchestrated plan. This involves:

1. Hunting  - The first step is to identify a potential victim which is a very easy thing to do online. They go through the children's profiles and find those that best suit their checklist. Victims are often picked on the basis of their gender, location, and age. 

2. Gathering information - Once the groomers find a perfect target based on their preference, they start collecting information. Even if the profile is locked, it is quite easy to gather ample information. Groomers may also stalk the profiles of the parents to find cues such as their school, address, friend circle, likes, dislikes, and more.  

3. Building trust - The next step is to win over the child’s trust, which often is not a hard task. Predators try to identify their weaknesses or interests and use the same to build an emotional connection and break their defences. For instance, if the child has posted pictures of dogs, they will initiate the conversation by asking about the breed, the food they feed them, and so on. Predators also prefer looking for little girls who act older than they are by wearing revealing clothes and applying makeup.  

4. Desensitising - No that the predator has gained the child’s trust, it is easier to slip lewd topics into their otherwise normal conversation. Throughout the process, they analyse how the child is responding. If they feel the child is hesitant, they may skip the topic and then reinitiate the same conversation a few days later. Some might even try to use peer pressure to make the child believe that it is very normal. They will start sending pornographic materials such as videos and pictures, often made by themselves. 

5. Controlling - Now comes the final stage, where the predator asks the child to share their objectionable videos and pictures. They may bribe the child, flatter them, threaten to harm them or their family, or even blackmail them. Ultimately the child gives in. 

Signs That A Child Is Victim Of Online Grooming

Some signs that may suggest that a child is being groomed by an online predator include:

1. The  child is spending an excessive amount of time online

2. The child is very secretive about their online activities and gets tense when they touch their phone or device.

3. The child uses sexually explicit language or terms that you have never heard them use before

4. They isolate themselves and tend to have frequent emotional breakdowns. The child may seem upset or withdrawn 

5. There is explicit/pornographic content on their device. This includes their objectionable pictures. 

#4 Viral Trends

Another, potentially dangerous aspect of social media is online trends, which seem to be getting out of hand. No matter how dangerous or absurd, if a trend takes off on social media, many people, especially children, are drawn to it. This is particularly owing to the vague idea that it makes them look cool, and helps them gain followers. Over the years, there have been many such trends that have claimed innocent lives, yet this doesn’t stop people from coming up with new ones. 

Karn Parma, an 11-year-old 7th-grade student from Morena choked to death while trying to recreate a reel he had seen on social media. The video that surfaced online showed that the child was choking while his friends continued to record as they thought that he was acting. On realising that their friend had died, the group fled, dropping the phone which kept recording the chilling scene. There are many such trends that are getting popular nowadays and with easy access to mobile phones your child can easily watch such content online. 

Signs That A Child Is Vulnerable To Social Media Trends

Here are a few signs that may suggest that a child is vulnerable to social media trends include:

1. They have severe meltdowns when their phone or device is taken away

2. They have frequent mood swings and are usually aggressive 

3. They isolate themselves from their family &  peers and tend to spend time alone

4. There is a noticeable change in their eating habits and sleep cycle

5. They indulge in dangerous stunts and try to justify it saying they have seen someone else do the same. 

Ensuring Online Safety Of Children 

Even if the government were to implement such a band here in India, it may take a little while. Till then, here are a few things that you can do to ensure your child's online safety.

Figure Out If Your Child Is Ready Or Not:

If you are allowing your child to use social media, it is important to ensure that they are ready for it and know the basic rule - Do not talk to a stranger or anyone who makes you feel uncomfortable, and they need to inform you if they face any such approach. Your child should be old enough to differentiate between right and wrong. You can also express your expectations to them as well as inform them about the consequences of not sticking to them. 

Talk To Your Child:

Talk to your child openly and make them feel comfortable whenever they share something with you. Even if you disapprove, do not scold them or else they might hesitate in sharing things with you in future. Promote open communication as much as you can so that they know that you have got their back always. 

Avoid Giving Them A Personal Device:

Giving your child a personal device means giving them unnecessary freedom, which will only make their online experience unsafe. If they want to use social media, make them do it on your device. This way, it will be easier to limit their time online and track their activities. Also, make sure you are on each other’s friend list. 

Set A Time Limit: 

Limit your child’s screen time. You can set an alarm or even ask them to remind you. The trick my mom used to follow with me and my brother was that she used to deduce any extra time that we spent on her phone on the next day. So, we always used to remind her of ourselves and she never needed an alarm. 

Keep An Eye On Their Online Activities:

Make it a habit to check their friend list. It is important to know who they are friends with. If you notice any known profile, just remove it or simply block it. You can also install a social media monitoring tool and keep better track of their activities. 

Become Their Idol:

The best thing that you can do for your child is model good behaviour. If you keep on using your phone in front of them, they would be tempted to do the same. Try to use your social media in their absence and limit your screen time if possible. 

Let us know if you are in favour of a social media ban for children under 16 in India.