Advice from the Malwathu Asgiri Theros to regulate social media

Considering the baseless criticisms and insults made by some individuals through social media, the Mahanayaka Theros of the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters state that regulating social media is a timely necessity. They emphasize that some people use social media to attack every segment of society, and currently, a situation has arisen where it is not even possible to criticize it.

The National Media Foundation has prepared a 10-point proposal, seeking the intervention of religious leaders to protect the children of this country from the harmful effects of social media. This proposal, which highlights the need to develop safe media standards and ethical guidelines for children under 16 years of age, was presented to the two Mahanayaka Theros on the 13th of last month.

Joining the occasion, the Mahanayaka of the Malwathu Chapter, Most Venerable Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayaka Thero, stated that during the COVID-19 pandemic, educational activities were conducted online, leading to mobile phones becoming widely available to children under 16 years of age. He mentioned that children who grasp more negative things than positive ones through the internet engage in various activities via social media, eventually leading to situations where even suicides are reported. His Holiness also appreciated the National Media Foundation for initiating a dialogue on this matter, especially in a context where many people are afraid to even talk about social media regulation.

The Mahanayaka of the Asgiri Chapter, Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Mahanayaka Thero, pointed out that for some schoolchildren, life itself has become the mobile phone. He added that social media also has some influence in leading the younger generation towards drugs and alcohol.

Furthermore, the Anunayaka of the Asgiri Chapter and Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, Venerable Narampanawe Ananda Thero, stated that social media addiction affects not only the lay society but also the monastic community, including novice monks receiving Pirivena education. He declared that a systematic program is needed to free the younger generation from this disaster, as social media is capable of destroying a person's reputation in an instant.

Commenting on this, Mr. Tudor Weerasinghe, Senior Advisor to the National Media Foundation and Senior Professor at the Sri Palee Campus, stated that there is a need to use social media to promote humanity. He also mentioned that while many countries in the world, including European countries and Australia, have taken regulatory measures, including banning social media for children under 16, the online bill introduced to regulate social media in this country is not currently in effect.