Ayesha Omar raises questions over children’s social media exposure
The growing use of social media among children has marked a fresh debate in Pakistan specially with concerns rising over the age at which youngsters are being exposed to the digital world and the kind of content they encounter online.
Actress Ayesha M. Omar has suggested that social media should be banned for children under 18, proposing that account creation should require an identity card or passport.
Meanwhile, Punjab Assembly member and Child Protection and Welfare Bureau Chairperson Sarah Ahmad moved a resolution seeking restrictions on social media accounts for children under 16.
The resolution calls for parental consent, effective age verification and stronger safeguards for young users.
The issue has also reached the Lahore High Court, which earlier sought responses from the federal government and relevant authorities over a petition seeking restrictions on social media use by children under 16.
As the discussion is going on, the issue is more than what it seems to be, if we look at it deeply, social media has become a part of children’s everyday lives with youngsters now being introduced to the digital world at increasingly younger ages.
As children gain easy access to online platforms, they can also come across content and conversations that may not be suitable for their age.
This is a wider concern about how families, schools, social media platforms and authorities can work together to create a safer digital environment for young users.
While the internet remains an open space where different types of content are available, parental guidance can play an important role in helping children understand what they are watching, how they interact online and what boundaries they should maintain.