A survey of Filipino parents and guardians shows strong support for evidence-based policies and consultation with children and families in shaping social media restrictions, as child rights advocates urged lawmakers to prioritize online safety over blanket bans, according to findings released on Friday.

The survey, conducted by public opinion research firm Momentum Research, polled 1,113 Filipino parents and guardians. It found that 97% of respondents recognized social media's benefits for children, particularly in helping them communicate with family and friends and learn new skills.

More than nine in 10 respondents said policies governing children's social media use should be evidence-based, while eight in 10 believed regulations would likely prove ineffective without consultation with families. Seven in 10 also agreed that children should take part in discussions about their own social media use.

The findings were presented amid debate over the proposed Children's Social Media and Online Gaming Safety Bill, which includes measures to restrict or ban minors from accessing social media. The bill touches an area where platforms currently rely on self-enforced rules: most major social media companies set a minimum user age of 13 in their terms of service, a threshold that stems from United States children's privacy laws.

Warnings Against Blanket Bans

Child Rights Network (CRN) Convenor Au Quilala, who also serves as executive director of the Philippine Legislators' Committee on Population and Development, said lawmakers should weigh the implications of blanket restrictions before cutting children off from digital spaces.

"Blanket restrictions may appear like action, but they are not necessarily solutions," she said, urging legislators to listen to children and their families, strengthen platform accountability and prioritize safety by design.

Rather than banning access, Ms. Quilala called for investment in online safety education and digital literacy to help children recognize risks and navigate social media responsibly. "Children need protection online – but that protection is better realized by equipping children, not by excluding them," she said.

The survey also raised questions about the effectiveness of age-based restrictions. CRN cited reports that children in countries such as Australia continue to circumvent social media bans, sometimes with parental assistance. Australia's ban was enacted through the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act, passed in late 2024, which prohibits children under 16 from holding social media accounts and requires platforms to take reasonable steps to enforce the minimum age, with compliance required from December 2025. Ms. Quilala warned that restrictive policies could undermine children's right to participate in digital spaces and push them toward potentially dangerous, unregulated platforms.

Children's Online Rights

Panelists discussing the survey emphasized that social media has become integral to children's education, communication, socialization and development, making outright restrictions insufficient to address online risks.

Youth Representative Lyra Ashley Embalsado said parents increasingly recognize social media's role in children's everyday lives, but guidance should go beyond restricting access. Children, she said, should be included in policymaking and equipped to navigate digital spaces, noting that removing access does not necessarily prepare them for online interactions once restrictions are lifted.

"Protecting children should not only be about deciding what they can and cannot do," Ms. Embalsado said. "It should be about understanding what they need, supporting their development, and ensuring they are equipped to navigate the world they are growing up in."

Doreen Murata, digital advocacy co-lead at Child Rights Network, said children should be recognized as rights holders who use social media for learning, self-expression, participation and building connections — a framing reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which the Philippines ratified in 1990 and which affirms children's rights to expression, access to information and participation in decisions affecting them. She warned against placing responsibility for online safety solely on parents, noting that families differ in digital literacy, resources and time available to monitor children's activities.

"Removing them from these platforms does not make them safe. It disempowers them and fails to prepare them for the digital world," Ms. Murata said.

Risks and Parental Controls

Save the Children Philippines Advocacy Manager Atty. Emma Salmani said social media allows children to maintain family relationships — particularly those with overseas Filipino worker parents — and supports education and access to information.

She cited cyberbullying, inappropriate content, online addiction and misinformation, including fabricated content generated by artificial intelligence, among the risks identified by parents. Ms. Salmani called for digital literacy programs for parents, children, teachers and communities, alongside enforceable policies holding platforms accountable for keeping their services safe.

She also raised concerns about parents' ability to use parental controls, noting that while four in 10 parents rely on application controls, others may lack the knowledge to use available safety features.

Shared Responsibility

ChildFund Philippines representative Darren Torres said the survey offers an important perspective on how parents perceive children's online activities, but should be complemented by research into children's actual experiences.

Children experiencing cyberbullying or online sexual exploitation, he said, may hesitate to report incidents because they fear losing access to their devices, being blamed, or not knowing where to seek help. Mr. Torres stressed the need to prepare parents, teachers and other trusted adults to respond calmly to disclosures and connect children with appropriate protection services.

"A child may only need one trusted adult to tell, but every trusted adult needs a dependable pathway to help," he said.

He cited ChildFund's SwipeSafe application, which provides child-friendly online safety information and directs children to reporting and support services.

Calls for Platform Accountability

The panelists also called for greater accountability from technology companies, including safety-by-design measures, privacy protections, accessible reporting mechanisms and transparency about how platforms respond to harmful content.

Ms. Salmani said keeping children safe online requires cooperation among parents, schools, communities, government and technology companies rather than placing the burden on families alone. Mr. Torres added that platforms should provide accessible safety features and promptly respond to reports of harmful content or abusive behavior.

The panelists said future research should incorporate children's perspectives through ethical and age-appropriate methods, particularly to understand why they may hesitate to report online harm and what would make them feel safer.

CRN said the long-term goal should be to make digital spaces safer for children rather than prevent them from participating.

"A ban will not make children disappear from social media. They will find ways to access online spaces and find community," Ms. Quilala said. "We should be making the digital world safer for children, not simply making it harder for them to be part of it."

— Kaizzer Angela Marie V. Manuba