Hong Kong should study social media impact on teens, craft its own policies: experts
Education experts note difficulties in enforcement and urge further local research following Australia’s social media ban for children under 16
Hong Kong authorities should examine the impact of social media on the city’s teenagers and explore ways to tighten control over their internet use, education and health experts have urged.
Their comments came on Thursday after Australia became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, ordering 10 of the biggest platforms to bar underage users or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$32.9 million).
Education-sector lawmaker-elect Tang Fei said he “cautiously supported” the social media ban, as he believed regulation would be more effective than solely relying on education to protect children.
But Tang also pointed to enforcement challenges, saying some children could bypass the ban by using family members’ identity documents to register for social media accounts.
Tang suggested that Hong Kong authorities first observe how Australia implemented and enforced the ban, as well as conduct local research, before formulating the city’s own policies.
“I agree that experts and academics should look into how social media affects the growth and personal character development of Hong Kong teenagers, as the situation varies in different places,” he told a radio show.