EDITORIAL — Protection, not exclusion

With classes in schools across the country being disrupted by threats of violent attacks, various agencies are doing what they can to address the problem.

So-called mental health caravans will start in schools next week, spearheaded by the National Center for Mental Health. Due to an acute shortage of registered guidance counselors that could take years to address, the Department of Education is also hiring instead school counselor associates.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government is going after True Brown Style, a community-based gang whose members, according to the DILG secretary, recruit and groom minors to commit crimes and acts of violence.

 Meetings are ongoing between the government and representatives of social media platforms to find ways of curbing harmful or malicious content. 

For its part, the Senate passed on Thursday a bill seeking to restrict minors’ access to social media. Several other countries have done the same. 

The intention is laudable. Compared with the restrictions in other countries, however, the Senate proposal can be considered more stringent, with the age restriction set at under 18.

 Today’s minors are digital natives. Many parents themselves introduce their children to gadgets and social media at an early age, to prepare the kids for the many instances when their schools shift to remote learning. These days, even kindergarten classes are held online to minimize disruptions during the monsoon season or emergencies.

Minors from age 15 to 17 are already in high school or may be starting higher education. Some may already be working, and need social media access for their livelihoods. Depriving them of an important tool in modern commerce violates their right to earn a living. 

Rights groups say a blanket restriction could limit children’s rights to education, access to information and participation. They warn that it could drive minors to unregulated platforms, and that age verification could endanger children’s privacy. The groups instead want online spaces made safer for minors.

 Then there’s the problem of implementation. As other countries are finding out, digital natives manage to find ways to circumvent the restrictions.

 Restricting minors’ social media access needs an established national identification system. But the Philippines’ national ID coverage is not yet comprehensive enough.

 With schools no longer safe spaces, it’s clear that urgent measures are needed to curb armed violence involving minors. But the measures must be implementable, effective and not merely knee-jerk, simplified reactions that could do more harm than good. What minors need is protection, not exclusion.