The recent headline “Goa weighs ban on social media for under-16 children” has stirred debate across the State. While the move takes a cue from the Australian government’s blanket ban, it is imperative that our policymakers avoid blindly aping foreign models without considering local realities.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media and online platforms were not mere entertainment tools”they became lifelines for education. With the government swiftly erecting towers and expanding digital infrastructure, children accessed online classes and educational resources through platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and even WhatsApp groups. To now impose a blanket ban would be to erase the very progress that helped our students stay ahead of the curve.Furthermore, in today’s AI-driven economy, digital literacy is no longer optional”it is a survival skill. As reputed companies downsize and issue pink slips, it is evident that future job stakes will be determined by how well one adapts to Internet-assisted AI. Goa’s children, already excelling in BCA and MCA programmes, are proof of our state’s digital acumen. Restricting access to social media risks creating a digital divide that will disadvantage our youth in global competition.
Instead of knee-jerk bans, the government should adopt a nuanced, case-by-case approach. Age-appropriate guidelines, parental controls, and digital literacy campaigns can balance safety with opportunity. Social media, when harnessed responsibly, is not a threat but a tool for empowerment”connecting students to knowledge networks, coding communities, and global peers.
Goa has always prided itself on being forward-looking. Let us not clip the digital wings of our children at a time when the world is racing ahead with AI and Internet innovation. A blanket ban will only push them backwards, when what they need is guidance, not restriction.
