Regulate minors’ social media use: Cebu board members to Congress
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Provincial Board has urged Congress to create laws regulating social media use among children aged 16 and below, saying stronger protections are needed against online threats that could endanger their safety and mental well-being.
The appeal is contained in a resolution that Board Member Celestino Martinez III authored, and which the Provincial Board approved during its regular session on July 13, 2026.
The measure asks both the House of Representatives and the Senate to craft legislation that would set rules on minors’ access to social media while strengthening safeguards against harmful online content.
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Push for safeguards
The Board noted how children who use social media without proper supervision face greater risks that may affect their behavior and mental health.
“Excessive social media use has made children more vulnerable to online abuse and exploitation and… more prone to manipulation and violent behavior that has scientifically [established] adverse effects on their mental health,” part of the resolution read.
During the July 13 session, Martinez said television programs and movies have long been regulated through age classifications and content standards, unlike social media platforms that remain widely accessible to young users.
He added that broadcast networks can be penalized for airing excessively violent or inappropriate material, but similar controls are still lacking in the online space.
Martinez said many children are left to navigate digital platforms on their own despite not having the maturity or guidance needed to understand the content they consume.
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“Today, our children are witnessing increasing hostility on social media. They are exposed to the erosion of civility, the widespread use of foul language, the normalization of profanity, cyberbullying, and disturbing or inappropriate content,” Martinez said.
He said these conditions emphasize the need for regulations to help shield children from the harmful influence of online platforms.
Looking at other countries
The resolution cited foreign policies that have imposed tighter restrictions on children’s use of social media and digital platforms.
It pointed to Australia’s nationwide prohibition on social media access for users below 16 years old, which took effect in December 2025.
It also referenced China’s digital safety rules for minors, which require internet platforms and devices to provide a special youth mode that limits screen time, blocks late-night access, and applies filters designed to reduce addictive use.
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Violence involving minors
The resolution also noted recent violent incidents involving minors, which officials believe could be associated with internet exposure.
“In the month of June 2026 itself, several incidents involving minors who have been involved in violent incidents have been linked to the exposure to the internet, more specifically, through the extreme effects of social media,” part of the resolution read.
One of the most notable incidents was the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, where three students were killed and at least 20 others were injured.
The case later became the subject of a Senate inquiry that examined possible contributing factors, including online grooming, radicalization, and the normalization of violence on digital platforms.
Shared responsibility
The resolution also stressed that any legislation regulating minors’ use of social media should be developed in close coordination with parents.
“Any legislation on the matter of the regulation in the use of the internet, more specifically, the use of social media by our youth, requires the utmost cooperation and partnership between the government and the very parents rearing our youth,” the resolution stated.
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It further directed that copies of the resolution be sent to Cebu’s representatives in the Lower House, House Speaker Faustino Dy III, and Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian for their information and appropriate action.
“While restrictions alone are not complete solutions, they represent an important first step toward protecting our youth from harmful online environments, to which they are exposed every day,” Martinez said./with a report from Inquirer.net
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