Prepared by Nur Sakinah Alzian
1 December 2024
Earlier this year, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil urged parents to ensure that their children below the age of 13 do not have social media accounts.[1] With the rapid rise of digital connectivity, Malaysian teenagers are increasingly exposed to online threats that demand proactive guidance and protection from their parents.
SERI recently discussed the various online threats faced by Malaysian teens ranging from cyberbullying and trolling to scams and sexual exploitation.[2] Statistics from the Multimedia Commission (MCMC) reveal that individuals under 20 are particularly vulnerable to online threats due to their high online presence and limited awareness of online safety measures.[3]
With online dangers on the rise, it is imperative to protect Malaysian teenagers and equip adults—especially parents and teachers—through evidence-based policies and programs grounded in a thorough understanding of their awareness, attitudes, feelings, and behaviours. We can begin by asking: How safe do Malaysian teenagers truly feel on social media and are parents prepared to protect them against these looming threats?
How Safe do Malaysian Teens Feel Going on Social Media?
Preliminary findings from SERI’s forthcoming white paper on online safety reveal that the majority of Malaysian teenagers do not feel safe online, even though they have never personally encountered any of the threats.[4] A minority of them however, have experienced online threats firsthand; notably, scams, hacking and cyberbullying.
While it might be tempting to breathe a sigh of relief that most Malaysian teens have not fallen victim to these online risks, these numbers barely scratches the surface of this complex issue. If teenagers frequently use social media and have not personally experienced any of these online threats, why would they still feel insecure going on social media?
This contradiction may be explained by the increasingly unsafe nature of the online environment. Knowing someone—a friend, mutual connection, or family member—who has faced online dangers can amplify the sense of risk, making the digital space seem even more threatening. For example, a 17-year-old Malaysian teen told SERI in an interview that his friend's sister became a victim of cyberbullying when a deep fake video of her was shared on Instagram, with no action taken by the authorities. Another teen shared that her friend was scammed on Instagram and lost over a thousand Ringgit.
Clearly, knowing someone who has experienced online threats makes the digital environment feel less safe for many youngsters. Given teenagers' high usage of social media, it is crucial to ensure they feel secure online. Adults, especially parents, play a pivotal role in helping teens navigate these risks—but how prepared are they to do so?
Are Parents Prepared?
A strong body of past literature has shown that parental involvement is crucial to a child’s self-development and growth.[5] In our increasingly digital world, parenting now extends beyond the physical into the online realm. Digital parenting entails the strategies and actions taken by parents to guide their children’s digital technology use and ensure their safety online.[6]
Online parental mediation includes several approaches: active mediation, such as open discussions with children about their social media use; restrictive mediation, like setting screen-time limits; monitoring, which involves overseeing children’s online activities; and technical mediation, such as implementing parental controls on digital platforms.[7]
In SERI's survey, more than half of Malaysian teens reported that their parents set no rules or limitations on their social media use, with only a minority indicating otherwise.[8] Among the few rules set, most involve screen time limits, privacy settings, and restrictions on certain platforms—all examples of restrictive parenting. While limiting screen time is a basic step, it offers minimal protection online. For active mediation—such as offering guidance and advice—parents and family members in the survey actually rank second to schools, highlighting a gap in proactive parental involvement in guiding teens' online behaviours.
Between Active and Restrictive Mediation
When it comes to parental mediation, some strategies might be counterproductive to children. A study on parental mediation and risky online behaviour shows that excessive monitoring by parents can actually increase the likelihood of children engaging in risky online activities.[9] Conversely, fostering strong family cohesion—such as building trust between parent and child—has been shown to reduce this risk. When children feel overly scrutinised, they may be less inclined to share their online experiences or seek guidance, which can limit parents' awareness of their child’s online activities and vulnerabilities.
In a focus group discussion conducted by SERI, one parent expressed that over-regulating or excessively restricting teenagers' access to social media is ineffective, as tech-savvy teens can often bypass such rules. She mentioned that instead of enforcing strict limitations or monitoring, her family provides an open space for their children to discuss their social media use freely. Indeed, when parents create an environment where children feel understood and supported, they are more likely to approach their parents about online concerns or risky situations.
Technical Mediation: A Missed Opportunity for Digital Parenting
Technical mediation remains one of the least utilised forms of digital parenting among Malaysian parents. Parents in the focus group discussion admitted that they are unfamiliar with parental control features on social media platforms, largely because they do not use these platforms themselves. As a result, they are less likely to employ this strategy to protect their children online.
A local study found that this form of mediation is rarely adopted due to parents limited digital literacy skills.[10] Similarly, the MCMC’s 2020 Internet Users Survey revealed that only 57.3% of parents use parental controls.[11] Reasons for not using these tools include trusting their child’s judgement, lack of awareness about parental control options, and a preference for setting their own household rules. This suggests that digital parenting practices in Malaysia still lean heavily on non-technical approaches, with many parents opting for indirect oversight rather than direct monitoring tools.
This presents a missed opportunity because technical mediation could offer crucial support in safeguarding children's online experiences while still allowing them to engage safely. Additionally, it highlights a concerning gap in the digital literacy of adults who are responsible for protecting teenagers online. The lack of sufficient digital knowledge among parents would leave their children vulnerable to online risks.
Digital parenting is essential
Parents should be better equipped to help make the digital environment safer for teenagers. Whether through active or restrictive mediation, some form of digital parenting is essential. Technical mediation offers an effective strategy, as it allows parents to monitor and set boundaries on their children’s social media use while still permitting access to these platforms. Social media companies have implemented various parental control tools, but these tools are only effective if parents are familiar with them and are using the platforms themselves.
Ultimately, protecting children online begins at home, but a collective, whole-of-society approach is crucial. Parents, schools, policymakers, enforcement agencies, and platforms each have a role to play in fostering a safer online environment. Empowering parents with digital literacy skills, raising public awareness, and enhancing platform accountability can collectively create a safer social media landscape for Malaysian teenagers to navigate.
This article is Part 2 of a three-part series that forms part of a broader study on online teen safety in Malaysia, which will showcase key insights. The complete findings will be presented in a report scheduled for release on the 16th December 2024. Part 3 will examine strategies to enhance teen safety and digital wellbeing.
Nur Sakinah Alzian is a senior researcher at Social and Economic Research Initiative (SERI). SERI is a non-partisan think-tank dedicated to the promotion of evidence-based policies that address issues of inequality. Visit www.seri.my or email hello@seri.my for more information.
[1] The Star Online, “Parents Need to Ensure Children under 13 Do Not Own Social Media Accounts, Says Fahmi,” 2024.
[2] Yohendran Nadar Arulthevan, “Beyond the Headlines: Understanding the Online Risks and Realities for Malaysian Teens,” 2024.
[3] Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), “Internet User Survey 2022,” 2022.
[4] For full statistics, see Teens, Tech, and Trust: Navigating Social Media in Malaysia (forthcoming 2024 from Social and Economic Research Initiative).
[5] Frengki Sipahutar, Irma Ropianti Sihite, and Syahrial Syahrial, “Analysis of Parental Involvement in the Formation of Children’s Character at Primary School Age,” 2024; Yue Sun, Hong Wang, and Chuanrui Yang, “Exploring the Impact of Parental Involvement on Student Academic Achievement in China,” 2023.
[6] Mohamed, Shafizan, Wan Norshira Wan Ghazali, and Nur Shakira Mohd Nasir, “Navigating Digital Risks and Benefits: Malaysian Parents’ Perceptions of their Children’s Digital Media Usage,” 2024.
[7] Uwe Hasebrink, Anke Görzig, Leslie Haddon, Veronika Kalmus, and Sonia Livingstone, “Patterns of Risk and Safety Online,” 2011.
[8] For full statistics, see Teens, Tech, and Trust: Navigating Social Media in Malaysia (forthcoming 2024 from Social and Economic Research Initiative).
[9] Hagit Sasson and Gustavo Mesch, “Parental Mediation, Peer Norms and Risky Online Behavior Among Adolescents,” Computers in Human Behavior, 2014.
[10] Diana Mahudin and Nazariah Janon, “Too Young Too Digital: How Malaysian Parents Mediate Their Young Children's Internet and Digital Device Use,” 2021.
[11] MCMC, “Internet User Survey 2022”.
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