‘… social media has been used as conduits for abuse, cyber-bullying and broadcast of content promoting self-harm.’
ATTENTION Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and DICT Secretary Ivan Uy, don’t turn your eyes blind in the increasing number of students aged 10 to 24 committing self-harm every school year, partly attributed to the unregulated access of social media and online gaming apps.
This developed as National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) chief Dr. Noel Reyes agreed that there is an urgency to address the addictiveness of children and the youth on digital platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Mobile Legends, Call of Duty, Dota and Clash of Clans, among others.
Nearly 1.5 million young Filipinos tried to commit self-harm, with 404 students taking their own life as per data from the UP Population Institute.
In an interview, Dr. Reyes said that children hooked into mobile gadgets and digital platforms are negatively impacting young Filipinos’ mental health by causing anxiety, depression, social isolation and sleep disturbances.
Indeed, spending many hours with mobile gadgets leads to reduced face-to-face social interactions, which are important for the development of social skills and emotional intelligence, particularly for children and youth, according to Dr. Reyes.
Likewise, Dr. Reyes noted that social media contributes to the fear of children and youth missing out on social events and experiences, leading to feelings of inadequacy and anxiety.
Dr. Reyes said among the “red flags” of suicide include but are not limited to the following: feeling or expressing boredom; social media posts of isolation and depression; excessive preoccupation with social media; withdrawal from family and friends; problems focusing on tasks; irritability; lack of response to praise; changes in eating and sleeping habits; and alcohol or drug use, among others.
Although the NCMH has a Mental Health Crisis Hotline, 09663514518, open 24 hours and seven days a week, Dr. Reyes said “it’s not enough.”
“It is indeed a duty of the State to provide a safe space for children and youth,” Dr. Reyes said, adding: “The best approach is still early recognition of mental health risk factors, immediately providing counseling aimed at improving mental health, and therefore building stronger connections with their family members.”
It is for this reason that Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Lito Lapid, both advocating the success and well-being of students, have proposed that every school should have at least one licensed guidance counselor.
While a ratio of one licensed guidance counselor per 500 students is far from what Gatchalian and Lapid intend to achieve, it’s a good step forward to address the mental health issues and disorders facing many children and youth today.
Per the Department of Education (DepEd), there are more than 19 million students enrolled for the school year 2023 to 2024.
Senator Gatchalian said: “It is heartbreaking to know that in a single school year, over 400 learners ended their lives. Each one of them had his or her aspirations and the potential to succeed in life.”
“We do not want more of these cases in the future. These underscored the importance of prioritizing students’ mental health,” Senator Lapid said.
Dr. Reyes said the Philippines needs to have a law specifically regulating excessive access by children and youth to social media, online gaming apps and other digital platforms using their smartphones and other mobile gadgets.
Dr. Reyes expressed his concern that social media has been used as conduits for abuse, cyber-bullying and broadcast of content promoting self-harm.
Social media platforms can certainly be sources of learning, advice, and support for children and youth.
Dr. Reyes and other mental health experts are willing to join the Technical Working Group after learning that Tingog Partylist Reps. Yedda Romualdez and Jude Acidre vowed to re-file a better version of the Online Safety Act for children incorporating suggestions of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara.
UNICEF and DepEd agreed there is a need to implement safeguards such as parental controls and blocking of inappropriate content, promote cyber wellness and digital citizenship through the curriculum, embed Media and Information Literacy (MIL) subjects in senior high school, and partner with the private sector–parents, educators, and health workers–for cyber safety campaigns.
We can only hope that Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cesar Chavez will wake up Secretary Herbosa and Secretary Uy from their stupor.
