Selangor Journal
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71 pct of Malaysians want kids under 14 banned from social media

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 — Seven out of 10 Malaysians want social media banned for children aged under 14, the second-highest rate after Indonesia, revealed a survey conducted by market research firm Ipsos.

In a statement today, Ipsos said 71 per cent of the Malaysian respondents agreed children under 14 should be banned from using social media both inside and outside of school, while Indonesia recorded 79 per cent.

The survey also found that 51 per cent of Malaysians agreed children under 14 should not use smartphones whether in school or outside of it, while 29 per cent agreed kids should be banned from using ChatGPT.

On the responsibility to teach digital literacy and online safety topics, the survey found that 56 per cent of Malaysians believed teachers and schools should shoulder the responsibility, while 39 per cent agreed the responsibility is parents’.

The survey findings also revealed Malaysians think the country’s education quality is improving, but less than half perceived it as a good system, with 44 per cent of the respondents rating the overall quality of the education system in the country as “good”, with 25 per cent voting “poor” and 29 per cent choosing “neither”.

The statement said many Malaysians believe the curriculum must emphasise new technology more.

“In Singapore and Indonesia, opinions are more balanced, with a slight preference for the current curriculum. One out of five Malaysians believe new technologies already take up too much (of the curriculum),” the statement said.

The survey, titled Malaysians’ opinions on technology in education, was based on online interviews with 23,754 adults under the age of 75 across 30 countries, conducted from June 21 to July 5 this year.

— Bernama

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