SENATE President Sherwin Gatchalian has raised alarm over the increasing number of underage Filipinos using social media platforms despite age restrictions, citing data showing that children as young as 10 years old are already active online.

Gatchalian cited Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data indicating that 87.64 percent of Filipino internet users aged 12 have social media accounts.

The data also showed that 80.76 percent of 11-year-old internet users are on social media, while 72.86 percent of internet users aged 10 maintain social media accounts. Among 13-year-old internet users, 93.72 percent are active on social media platforms.

The Senate leader said that while technology provides numerous benefits, it also exposes children to risks when the use of gadgets and online platforms is not properly monitored and guided.

“We know that technology brings many benefits. However, it also comes with negative effects on our youth, especially when the use of gadgets and other technologies is not monitored and guided properly,” Gatchalian said.

To address the issue, Gatchalian filed the Social Media Safety for Children Act, or Senate Bill No. 2066, which seeks to prohibit children below 16 years old from accessing social media platforms.

He also authored the Electronic Gadget-Free Schools Act, or Senate Bill No. 627, which proposes to ban the use of smartphones and other electronic devices during class hours in both public and private schools to reduce distractions and promote a more focused learning environment.

Gatchalian said the proposed measures aim to protect children from the harmful effects of excessive and unsupervised social media use while promoting responsible and balanced technology use among young Filipinos.