Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand is studying the possibility of introducing a law banning children and teenagers under the age of 16 from using social media, amid growing concerns over excessive screen time and increasing online risks facing young people.
The proposal was announced by Thai Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri at a recent meeting of the board of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), where he serves as chairman.
Citing ThaiHealth data, Songsak said more than 93.1% of Thailand's population uses the internet, with people spending an average of 7 hours and 54 minutes online each day. Among children aged 0–2, 72.6% spend more than one hour a day using screen-based devices, a level that could negatively affect learning, communication and age-appropriate development.
ThaiHealth warned that beyond developmental concerns, children and adolescents face a range of online threats, including cyberbullying, sexual exploitation, online gambling and exposure to advertisements promoting harmful behaviours such as e-cigarette use. These risks can damage mental health, increase stress and anxiety, alter behaviour and lifestyles, and create broader social problems over time.
The foundation will study the potential impact and feasibility of restricting social media use by children, drawing on the experience of countries that have adopted similar measures. Australia, which has introduced a ban on social media use by children under 16 and penalties for platforms that fail to verify users' ages effectively, is among the models being examined.
ThaiHealth is also working with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to strengthen child protection online through policy improvements, tighter monitoring of illegal websites, better reporting mechanisms for harmful content, and the promotion of safe and responsible technology use./.
