Hong Kong authorities should look into the impact of social media on the city’s teenagers and explore ways to tighten control over their internet usage, 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 as it ordered 10 of the biggest platforms to bar underage users or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$32.9 million).
Elected education sector lawmaker Tang Fei said he “cautiously supported” the social media ban, as he expected that regulation would be more effective than merely relying on education to protect children.
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But Tang also observed difficulties in enforcement, as some children circumvented the ban by using other family members’ identity documents to register for their social media accounts.
Tang suggested that Hong Kong authorities first observe the implementation and enforcement of the ban in Australia, as well as conduct local research, before formulating the city’s own policies.
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“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.