Parents Face New Digital Safety Questions as Lawmakers Weigh Social Media Limits for Children

In a recent discussion among the House of Representatives, there is an ongoing drafting of a bill where kids under 13 will be banned from social media and online gaming, while 14- to 17-year-olds will have regulated access

Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo, chair of the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture, said lawmakers are drafting measures that would ban social media and online gaming platforms for children 13 and below, while regulating their use among teens aged 14 to 17. The proposal follows the school shooting in Zamboanga City that left two students dead, including the shooter.

The proposed ban on social media and online gaming for children 13 and below has understandably made many parents wonder: How can we keep children safe without leaving them unprepared for the digital world?

The proposal is still being developed, but it opens a larger conversation about social media safety for kids—and how parents can prepare children for technology without exposing them to everything at once.

How Parents Can Regulate Social Media and Online Gaming

1. Start With the Predecessors of Today’s Technology

As a millennial, one thing I’ve discovered is that knowing how to navigate the predecessors of today’s technology helps a lot in dealing with all the crazy out there.

Before social media, children learned communication through landlines, simple cellphones, and text messaging, then email. These technologies taught basic digital etiquette: how to communicate clearly, when to respond and when a conversation should simply end.

2. Introduce Older Video Games

The same principle can apply to video games. Parents can introduce children to older games, including legally available retro titles and emulators where appropriate. Even today’s Steam marketplace has independent games that deliberately embrace old-school mechanics and simpler designs.

3. Help Schools Adapt to Digital Restrictions

Schools will also have to adapt. Social media and digital platforms have become deeply embedded in education. If restrictions change how children communicate with schools, workshops for teachers and parents can help families navigate tools such as Microsoft Teams and Google Classroom safely.

4. Teach Children About Global Online Gaming

Online gaming presents another challenge because it is global. Players bring different languages, cultures, and attitudes into the same space. Yet competitive games offer one useful lesson: skill is universal. Children can learn sportsmanship, communication and boundaries while understanding that not every interaction deserves their attention.

Always Be Prepared

For parents frightened by online violence, the answer does not have to be throwing the tablet into the sea.

Sometimes, the strongest digital safety measure is simply delaying independent access. Not lending a child your phone or giving unrestricted access to an iPad may be exhausting, but real-world social interaction teaches children skills they will eventually need online: reading social cues, resolving conflict, recognizing unsafe behavior and knowing when to walk away.

Technology changes quickly. The fundamentals do not.

Rather than rushing children toward the newest platform, parents can give them a gradual foundation—first learning what technology does, then learning how to use it wisely. The goal is not to raise children who fear the internet, but children who know how to navigate it.

More about social media bans?

UK to Ban Social Media for Children Under 16 in 2027
Indonesia Plans Social Media Restrictions for Teens Today
Spain Weighs Social Media Ban for Kids Under 16