A mother was watching television when a program about a man retiring somewhere came on. After a while, she got up to get something from the kitchen.
To her shock, she found the man from the television show standing in front of her open refrigerator, searching for food.
When he noticed her, he said to that she should not be surprised because whatever people watch, they allow into their home.
That ad really hit the mark. We teach our children not to talk to strangers, yet we often unknowingly allow strangers into our homes, and even into their rooms, through the content they consume on social media.
Protecting Children Online
The United Nation’s Children Fund or UNICEF highlights the growing risks Filipino children face online as internet use continues to increase.
In 2021, an estimated two million children in the Philippines were subjected to online sexual abuse and exploitation. Many reported experiencing grooming, receiving offers of gifts or money in exchange for sexual acts, and being threatened or blackmailed into engaging in such acts.
Despite the seriousness of these incidents, reporting remains alarmingly low. Due to stigma and fear, only 0–4% of victims ever reported their experiences, while just 0–3% knew how to report to the police or appropriate helplines.
UNICEF also found that 44% of children do not know where to seek help if they or a friend experience online sexual abuse or harassment. In addition, 50% of children reported adding people as friends on social media even if they had never met them in person. Of those children, 13% eventually met their online contacts face-to-face.
The findings underscore the urgent need for stronger digital safety education, improved reporting mechanisms, and greater parental guidance to help protect children from online exploitation and abuse.
Call For Tighter Social Media Safeguards
The Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) has recommended that children aged 16 and below should not have unsupervised access to social media, citing growing concerns over the effects of unregulated digital exposure on young people.
The Philippine Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (PSDBP) expressed full support for the PPS position statement, emphasizing that developmental and behavioral specialists regularly encounter the consequences of excessive or unsupervised social media use in clinical practice.
According to the PSDBP, clinicians commonly observe anxiety, emotional dysregulation, sleep disturbance, and worsening behavioral and developmental symptoms among children and adolescents exposed to unregulated online environments. The group stressed that these are not merely theoretical risks, but real conditions documented in consultation rooms on a daily basis.
The PPS recommendation aligns with current neurodevelopmental evidence and with the experiences of pediatric specialists who treat children with developmental, behavioral, and mental health concerns. These children, the PSDBP noted, are among the most vulnerable to the harmful effects of uncontrolled digital exposure.
The PSDBP also underscored that protecting children in digital spaces is a shared responsibility involving families, schools, healthcare professionals, social media platform developers, and policymakers.
Both organizations are calling for stronger, evidence-informed safeguards to help ensure a safer online environment for Filipino children and adolescents.
Inherently At A Greater Risk
We have been flooded with many deeply troubling news that expose the vulnerability of children.
One case, for example, involved allegations of child sexual abuse raised by students of Parañaque National High School Main Campus in Parañaque City, Metro Manila against some of their teachers. The students turned to social media to amplify their voices and draw public attention to the alleged abuses.
Another case involved violence against children, made even more alarming by reports that the alleged perpetrators were minors themselves. The suspects at the mass shooting in San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, Leyte, who were both underage, were reportedly influenced by violent content they had consumed on social media.
Beyond their vulnerable circumstances, children are inherently at a greater risk because of their age and stage of development.
Truly, it takes a village to raise a child, and that effort begins with strengthening the most basic foundation of our society: the family.
“A mother’s love is shown not only in caring moments, but also in the sacrifices she makes to protect and guide her child. This love can grow beyond her own family and inspire care for other children and families,” shared Ophelia M. So, founder of Alphastar Educational Centre, Inc.
She, together with her friend, established the said school to ensure her child gets the best education and care a school can provide. In the process, Ophelia realized how it became a channel of blessings to others in need.
A recognized civic leader, Ophelia added that “Through compassion and service, this devotion to the Lord helped create opportunities and strengthen the community as a whole”.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is the primary agency to contact for family and children’s welfare concerns. For matters involving students’ safety, well-being, or development, parents and community members are also encouraged to coordinate with the Department of Education (DepEd) through their child protection and guidance support systems.
