Survey: Over 72% of Malaysians back social media ban for children below 14

72% of Malaysian respondents believe social media affects children’s education and should be restricted

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (MNTV) – Most Malaysians agree that children under 14 should not be allowed to use social media, but opinions are divided on banning smartphones in schools, reports said.

According to a report by Sinar Harian, quoting findings from the Ipsos Malaysian Education Monitor 2025 survey, seven in 10 Malaysians supported proposals to restrict social media access for children under 14.

The survey, conducted between June 20 and July 4 this year, revealed that 71% of global respondents and 72% of Malaysian respondents believed social media affects children’s education and should be restricted. Only 25% of global respondents and 24% of Malaysians disagreed with this view.

However, opinions were split on banning smartphones in schools, both in Malaysia and globally. Based on the Ipsos education monitor, only 52% of Malaysian respondents agreed with the proposal, compared with 55% globally.

Nearly four in 10 Malaysians opposed banning smartphones in schools — a higher proportion than the 30% global average.

Ipsos said parents viewed smartphones as important for safety and maintaining communication with their children, with concerns focused more on the content accessed rather than the devices themselves.

The survey involved 23,700 adults under the age of 75 across 30 countries, including 500 respondents from Malaysia.