While policymakers debate regulatory measures, parents can help children develop the skills to become responsible digital citizens rather than becoming dependent on social media. Photo: AI-generated
They argue that creating safe online spaces tailored to children’s needs would better protect their development while still helping young users build healthy digital skills and become familiar with technology from an early age.
The main idea for the proposal is to create separate social media systems for children under 16.
Major platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube would be required to introduce a dedicated ‘Under-16 Vietnam’ mode.
Age verification could combine AI-powered facial recognition with data linked to Vietnam’s chip-based citizen identification system.
Children would only be allowed to access this version.
If the system detects that a user under 16 attempts to access the global platform, the account would automatically be locked or redirected.
The approach is not unprecedented. Several countries have adopted similar principles, and Vietnam already has a legal foundation through existing laws and regulations.
The platform itself would need to be designed to reduce addictive behavior from the outset.
Endless scrolling and infinite content feeds would no longer exist. Children could only view content based on selected interests or from approved real-life friends.
Videos would be capped at 60 seconds, while livestreaming would be prohibited without adult supervision.
Most importantly, the focus should shift from passive consumption to proactive creation.
The platform could prioritize and give rewards for content made by children themselves, such as educational videos, retelling folk stories, documenting simple science experiments at home, presenting artwork, performing traditional arts, or sharing life skills.
Purely entertainment-driven content would face stricter limitations.
Educational games could also be integrated into the system.
Children who complete real-world challenges would receive virtual rewarding badges.
These could include documenting a home gardening project, interviewing grandparents about family traditions, or learning and recording a traditional dance.
Such activities would not only keep children engaged online but also strengthen practical skills and real-world connections.
Removing addictive features, including infinite feeds, constant notifications, and overstimulating content, would require legally binding regulations for platforms operating in Vietnam.
The country already has precedents for enforcing rules on digital content and data management.
Foreign platforms seeking to operate in Vietnam could be required to pay licensing fees or contribute part of their advertising revenue to support the system.
Vietnamese technology companies and domestic media organizations could receive incentives to develop features, produce local content, and expand infrastructure, helping strengthen the country’s digital industry.
It is difficult to deny that future generations will spend much of their lives in digital spaces. Therefore, a Vietnamese social media platform tailored for children may be both a necessary and realistic next step.
Are parents being too reckless about posting their children online?
“Many parents are far too naive when they think posting videos of their children online is harmless fun or an easy source of income, without realizing the dangers posed by predators and malicious actors,” Xuan Lan, a reader of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, commented.
Reader Hong Anh expressed concern that real-life tragedies involving children are increasingly being turned into online content and even a source of income for parents themselves.
Meanwhile, Nguyen H. Phu argued that the problem remains unresolved largely because many parents underestimate both children’s emotional needs and the risks of exposing them online.
A reader raised another troubling question: “When these children grow up and look back at traumatic moments of their lives spread all over the internet, how will they cope with that?”
Another one called for tighter regulation of children’s access to social media to protect their mental and emotional development, warning that: “Parents already spend too little time with their children. Leaving them absorbed in online platforms only creates even greater risks.”
Van Giang – Hoang Danh – Q.L. / Tuoi Tre News
