Kuala lumpur: The recent spate of school crimes, culminating in the fatal stabbing of a teenage girl by her schoolmate, has become a sobering wake-up call for Malaysia to urgently reconsider raising the minimum age for smartphone and social media use to 16. Far from being isolated incidents, the disturbing surge of violence among schoolchildren, occurring at an age when they should be most protected and within institutions meant to serve as safe havens, has rattled parents and communities nationwide.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, this growing pattern underscores that the urgency for action can no longer be deferred, as unmonitored digital exposure has increasingly been linked to disciplinary problems, the normalization of violence, cyberbullying, and a growing mental health crisis among youths. At its meeting on Oct 17, the Cabinet proposed three measures to address safety issues in schools, including banning smartphone use among students aged 16 and below to curb disciplinary problems and reduce the influence of social media and online games often linked to bullying and crime.

While many academics and parents have welcomed the proposal, public policy analyst Dr. Tricia Yeoh stressed that both the suggested ban and the move to raise the minimum age for social media use to 16 must be examined more thoroughly, particularly regarding user privacy. "I believe overall that we should be raising the Internet adulthood age to 16, which means that children should not be permitted to access everything available on the Internet under that age because there are many dark holes online that are dangerous for them to access, including hardcore pornography," Yeoh explained.

Yeoh, who is also an Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, suggested that instead of electronic Know-Your-Customer (eKYC) systems, the use of 'zero-knowledge proof' could effectively prevent children from creating their own social media accounts. She also pointed to studies in the United States by social psychologist Professor Jonathan Haidt, which attribute sharp increases in depression and anxiety among adolescents to the widespread adoption of smartphones.

Yeoh added that while the proposed ban is a necessary first step, the wider debate over smartphone restrictions and age limits for social media reflects a larger truth: protecting children in the digital era cannot rest on parents alone. She emphasized that meaningful change will require coordinated action across government, industry, schools, and families, ensuring that the protection of the young is reinforced by accountability, education, and shared responsibility.

While awaiting the implementation of the proposed ban, Yeoh stressed the need for a nationwide 'parents' pact' to withhold smartphones from children until 16 and encouraged the creation of 'landline pods' for them to communicate with friends. "The government can set guidelines for parents to follow, but it is up to parents to make the final decision," she said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Chua Sook Ning, clinical psychologist and founder of the not-for-profit mental health organization Relate Malaysia, urged the government to examine the matter more closely. Chua noted that previous studies have shown a link between problematic social media use and the increased risk of poor mental health, recommending training programs to equip parents with strategies related to the use of digital devices.