Ban on minors’ social media use pressed

Following the killing of three students at the San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian has renewed calls to ban social media use by minors.

“We have a lot of youth deeply addicted to social media and violent video games. A lot of studies prove that excessive use of social media influences the mental health of minors. That is why cases of mental health problems among the youth remain high,” said Gatchalian in Filipino in a radio interview on Wednesday.

The Philippine National Police is considering the angle that one of the suspects was hooked on the online game Gorebox, which prompted the PNP Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Centre to temporarily ban the video game.

According to Google Play, Gorebox engages players “in brutal combat with an extensive arsenal of weapons and explosives, and to witness the raw effects of realistic ragdoll physics and an intense gore system that brings dismemberment to life.”

Various lawmakers, including Gatchalian, had earlier filed bills to regulate and restrict minors’ access to social media to prevent digital addiction, exposure to violence, and online harms.

Among these is Senate Bill No. 2066, The Social Media Safety for Children Act, filed by Gatchalian, which seeks to prohibit children aged 16 and under from registering, accessing, or maintaining social media accounts, while mandating strict age-verification systems for platforms.