“Online activities such as social media use, gaming and streaming have become normalised in today’s digital age, making it challenging to differentiate between healthy engagement and addictive behaviour.
WHILE much emphasis has been placed on the gains and opportunities that accompany digital technology, there is a pressing need to explore the dark side of internet addiction (IA) and its far-reaching ramifications on the lives of youths.
Online activities such as social media use, gaming and streaming have become normalised in today’s digital age, making it challenging to differentiate between healthy engagement and addictive behaviour.
According to the Statistics Department, Malaysia recorded a notable increase in national internet usage from 66.60% (2014) to 97.70% (2023), with the highest percentage of internet users (99.60%) being individuals aged 20 to 39 years old.
Relatively, the 2022 Online Internet Survey revealed that the percentage of heavy internet users was highest among individuals in their teens (16.10%), 20s (15.30%) and 30s (13.70%).
On average, these individuals spend 18 hours or more daily on the internet. Similarly, a cross-sectional study conducted in 2020 found that among 921 respondents aged 10 to 19 years old, 56.4% of the respondents were addicted to the internet.
Excessive internet usage and lacking control can result in addiction. Initially, engaging with digital spaces such as social media, may be a harmless hobby, providing relaxation and enjoyment. However, when hobbies transform into addictions, especially among children and youths, negative implications for their well-being emerge.
Social risks among youths
The internet has become a favourite escape route from reality for many youths these days, serving as a coping mechanism to destress from academic or work pressure, family or relationship issues and others.
Research in 2023 involving 1,044 students aged 12 to 18 years old with childhood trauma discovered that 473 (45.6%) of them had IA, and the prevalence rate was as high as 45.6%.
The transition of IA may occur when the leisurely enjoyment of social media evolves into compulsive and detrimental behaviour, overshadowing other aspects of life and leading to adverse effects on their well-being, relationships and daily functioning.
Youths who are addicted to the internet have a higher risk of becoming victims or perpetrators of cyberviolence. This creates a harmful online environment by affecting trust, respect and morality in digital interactions.
Fundamentally, the most common risk in IA is the vulnerability of being affected (or affecting others) by hate speech, cyberbullying, trolling and similar behaviours.
For example, trolling and throwing hate speech at content creators or celebrities on online social platforms such as TikTok is now considered normalised behaviour in society.
Another example, in the context of Malaysia’s political landscape, this group is highly susceptible to online hateful content, disinformation and radicalising influences, potentially contributing to their engagement in cyber violence.
Social media algorithms and recommendation systems often prioritise engaging or sensationalised content, leading users including young people, down rabbit holes of extremist propaganda and echo chambers where hateful ideologies are reinforced and normalised.
This, again, is especially felt by young people who, due to feelings of being disenfranchised, marginalised or in search of identity and belonging, may be particularly vulnerable to online radicalisation and recruitment by extremist groups.
Cyberviolence can have serious consequences on victims’ mental health, well-being and safety, leading to anxiety, depression, substance abuse and even suicide in extreme cases.
A cross-sectional study in Myanmar in 2020 involving 412 university students found that 44.20% of the respondents were victims of cyberbullying. Among these, 18.70% started using substances and 6% of the respondents attempted to commit suicide.
It is important to understand that cyberviolence is not limited to online harassment, trolling or cyberstalking; it also extends to crimes such as sexual crimes such as online sex grooming, revenge porn and the like) and online sales of trafficking goods and services (such as drugs, sex and labour).
The easy access to pornography via dark web, Telegram and others allows children as young as 14 to be exposed to porn. As they reach an age where they begin to explore, they may engage in and become addicted to porn.
As they grow older, they may fall victim to online grooming scams and the like. These predators are known for exerting particularly exploitative behaviour towards young girls and boys.
Recently, the principal assistant director Senior Asst Comm Siti Kamsiah Hassan revealed that in just an hour, a child can fall prey to sexual predators lurking online.
Uncontrolled internet addiction may also pose a significant risk to youths who lack adequate financial literacy, especially in e-commerce and online gambling.
This vulnerable demographic often faces heightened risks associated with compulsive spending behaviours as they are easily influenced by trends, online platforms and promotional strategies, especially as online shopping and digital entertainment become prominent in developing countries such as Malaysia.
Research, such as the 2023 Ipsos survey of 1,023 Malaysians, shows that within six months, 70% browsed e-commerce platforms, with 39% making purchases. Among them, the highest purchasing rates were among individuals aged 18 to 24 years (53%), followed by those aged 25 to 34 years (54%).
Due to the current trend of “buy now pay later” purchases, those with low financial literacy may find themselves struggling to deal with the serious repercussions of financial strain resulting from impulsive purchases, excessive gambling And others, aggravating the already precarious financial situations they face due to their limited financial literacy and incapacity to responsibly navigate their expenditure.
Besides, according to British-based universal bank Barclays, one in four individuals aged 21 to 30 years are falling victim to purchase scams.
The lack of knowledge and naivety among youths make them vulnerable to fraudulent schemes, where scammers exploit their trust and entice them to purchase non-existent or misrepresented goods or services, resulting in financial loss.
Crucially, IA among youths have significant repercussions, including disconnection from reality, subpar brain functioning, deterioration of social skills, social comparison and identity issues.
Additionally, excessive reliance on the internet and digital devices may impede the development of crucial social skills, such as empathy and effective communication, as face-to-face interactions are now replaced by virtual exchanges.
Therefore, these combined effects underscore the need to promote mindful internet usage and foster balanced offline connections to mitigate the adverse impact of internet dependency on youth well-being.
Following are the proposed policy recommendations by Emir Research to promote healthy digital habits:
1. As previously emphasised by Prof Dr Shivali Shamsher, a National Policy for Internet Use should be established to ensure the safety of internet users, especially children. As a country with high access to internet users in the world, there is a need for us to investigate the safety of internet users, especially concerning online child protection.
In extension of the policy, there should be regulations compelling social media companies to monitor and remove content from their platforms that violate specific provisions outlined in the national policy for internet use.
This approach mirrors the implementation of similar legislation in Germany, such as the Germany Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG). Under NetzDG, online platforms can be fined up to €50 million (RM254 million) for systematically failing to delete illegal content.
This proactive enforcement mechanism will serve as a deterrent to online platforms, ensuring compliance with legal requirements and promoting a safer online environment for users.
2. While parents have an important role in creating healthy digital behaviours in children, it is critical to recognise that many are also brought up in dysfunctional families with limited communication. Hence, comprehensive education in primary, secondary and tertiary education is critical for preparing children for the digital age. This includes teaching courses such as sex education and cyberviolence awareness in primary and secondary schools as well as financial, digital and cyber safety literacy in tertiary education, to provide students with critical skills and resilience against online influences.
3. Enhance support and assistance for victims and perpetrators of cyberviolence, especially children and youths. Cognitive-behavioural therapy can be beneficial for victims and perpetrators of cyber violence. By offering focused support and interventions, we can address the underlying causes of cyberviolence and empower individuals to overcome its negative consequences.
4. Media and news outlets must produce and promote credible digital information that educates the public on digital literacy. This encompasses fact-checking, internet safety and responsible digital citizenship. Through these measures, media outlets may assist in reducing the spread of misinformation and building a safer online environment for everyone by distributing correct information and encouraging critical thinking skills.
5. Lastly, parents play an important role in instilling healthy digital habits in their children and protecting them online. Effective methods may include promoting family time, setting an example and utilising monitoring and parental control tools. By actively participating in their child’s online activities and setting boundaries, they can help reduce the risks of internet addiction and cyberviolence, creating a safer and more supportive online environment for the children.
In summary, we cannot avoid digital progress but we must find methods to alleviate the obstacles and barriers associated with managing Malaysia’s digital ecosystem.
The writer is a research assistant at Emir Research, an independent think tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
