Sudha Murty urges govt to set norms on portrayal of children on social media platforms

Rajya Sabha Nominated MP Sudha Murty on Friday urged the government to set norms on the portrayal of children on social media platforms, as it is essential to inculcate a good value system among the younger generation.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, she expressed serious concern about how children are being depicted on social media, and cited regulations on the portrayal of children from several advanced countries like France.

"Children are our future, and we should develop our children in a good value system, good education, sports and many other activities," Murty said. She stated that social media has now become very popular and there are many advantages, but there are also flip sides to it.

Many parents expose their innocent children on social media platforms, she said.

"...they are exposed to different types of costumes, dress, commercialisation, and put them on social media so that they can have 10,000, 1 million and half a million followers. This will help them (parents) financially a lot, I am aware of it, but what happens to the child?" she asked.

Murty said the children become a source of income to parents, but it affects the child's psychology in the long term.

"The child will lose innocence. The child does not give permission because the child is not aware of it. It will affect the children's psychology. They will not learn how to do any social activity, or sports, or even receive a good education," she observed.

Murty requested the Central Government to regulate this.

She noted that the government has done fantastic work in regulating the portrayal of children in advertisements and the film industry.

"You are regulating in the advertisement, children's advertisement, children working or acting in a film. All those things have been taken care of, and there are strict laws implemented. Whereas when it comes to social media, it is not done," Murty said.

In the absence of regulations and restrictions, she warned that this would cause a great problem in future for our children.

"There should be a restriction. Children cannot use a certain kind of dress and dance...because this is not the way how we can bring up the next generation of our children," Murty added.