THE country seems to be moving towards a stricter control of children’s social media usage. In September, the Punjab Assembly passed a resolution seeking legal restriction on the use of social media for those aged less than 16 years. Besides, a petition is also being heard by the Islamabad High Court, seeking to control children’s access to social media. However, simply limiting access may not actually lead to anything except possibly pushing the children towards other less noticeable methods of accessing social media.

The response to whatever the crisis is, should not be about restricting the access itself; it should be about improving digital literacy. Schools need to raise awareness regarding how to navigate social media and avoid identity manipulation, misinformation or online exploitation. Platforms should be held responsible for protecting the youth, and any complaints should be addressed immediately.

It’s important for the government to avoid the temptation of taking the easy route and in the process raise generations of children who fear the internet.

The focus should be on having our future generations digitally literate and aware of how to steer through the harmful effects of excessive and unsafe use of social media.

Harram Ali Saikhou
Lahore

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2026