Problems caused by social media use among young students are getting worse by the year, a school head has warned.

Sister Veronica Gerada, the head of St Monica school in Gżira, was one of four panelists discussing whether social media should be banned for under-16s at an event organised by the Malta Chamber of Psychologists at the University of Malta on Friday.

The discussion was held in the wake of Australia’s decision to ban social media for anyone under the age of 16. The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act was enacted in November 2024 and prohibits individuals under 16 from accessing major social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok.

“I’ve been a teacher for 10 years and a head for 20, and I’ve seen problems related to social media get worse every year,” Sr Gerada said. She listed a wide range of issues related to students using social media, including rising rates of anxiety, increasing conflict between students, children being confused about their identities, shrinking attention spans and disrupted sleep patterns.

“Cyberbullying is also on the rise. Our school takes bullying very seriously but it’s very difficult to control what happens on the internet. There have been cases of otherwise well-behaved students being reported to the police because they didn’t realise their actions online were considered a crime,” she said, adding that parents were very naive about what happens online.

She cited the example of an eight-year-old girl, whom she described as a model student, becoming angry because she was not happy with her results and trashing her classroom during break.

“We got to know that she uses Tiktok and YouTube, and we think she copied what she saw on those platforms,” she said.

Sr Gerada said she supported a temporary ban that would serve as a digital reset and time for reflection for children, referring to a similar experiment that was carried out by a school in the UK in which children had their devices confiscated for three weeks.

Psychologist Claire Francica said parents play a major role in the online habits of their children. She said she was observing an increased prevalence of attachment disorders – problems that result from the lack of availability of normal socialising care and attention from primary caregiving figures in early childhood. In other words, parents spend too much time on their phones and not enough time interacting with their children.

We’re observing a phenomenon of cognitive overload

“Research from Australia shows that children are being exposed to an increasing amount of misogynistic and extreme sexual content. There has also been an increase in cases of physical abuse by boys on girls, and the sharing of AI-generated pornographic images to harass and intimidate children,” she said.

Deborah Vassallo, coordinator of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services’ ‘Be Smart Online’ project, argued that a ban might not address the root issues surrounding digital safety.

“Instead of restricting access to social media, we should equip children with the skills to navigate the online world responsibly,” she said.

Vassallo noted that social media could have a positive impact on the lives of young people.

“It allows for children to connect with their peers and communities, opens up opportunities for learning and access to information, and serves as a platform for creativity and self-expression,” she said.

She advocated for the teaching of skills, such as how to spot misinformation, how to communicate respectfully and empathetically, and how to recognise instances of grooming and other online threats.

“Empowering children to be emotionally resilient critical thinkers is key,” she said, adding that children should be encouraged to have a balanced lifestyle that includes offline activities.

Banning social media, she said, could result in children being isolated and never learning how to use the internet responsibly.

Educational psychologist Keith Pirotta said that social media websites were not designed with children’s health in mind.

“Exposure to digital stimuli affects attention spans. We’re observing a phenomenon of cognitive overload, when the brain is overwhelmed and unable to focus on what it needs to,” he said.

Turning to AI, Pirotta said the rapid growth of the technology could not be resisted.

“We can’t fight it. We need to learn to live with it. But we also need to push for it to keep in mind the emotional needs of adolescents,” he said.

While being reluctant to advocate for a total ban on social media due to its benefits, Pirotta said a balance needed to be struck, with placing a limit on children’s screen time being one potential solution