In light of the findings of several local surveys indicating that young people are spending too much time on social media, the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) announced yesterday that it will launch “reference guidelines” for schools in the 2025/2026 academic year, requiring them to regulate the use of mobile phones brought by students to the campus, specifying that, except during teacher-directed educational activities and in special circumstances, students will be restricted from using such devices both during lessons and on-campus recess.
Yesterday morning, the current affairs phone-in programme Ou Mun Gwong Cheung, hosted by Ou Mun Tin Toi on TDM, the Chinese-language radio channel of the public broadcaster, invited DSEDJ Secondary Education Division Chief Leong I On, DSEDJ Curriculum Development and Assessment Division Chief Cheang Sek Kit, and Sheng Kung Hui representative Ho Ka Hong, to discuss the digital literacy of youth.
Sheng Kung Hui is the Cantonese name for the Anglican Church which runs several schools and community service centres in Macau.
Citing the Sheng Kung Hui’s 2022 Digital Literacy Survey conducted among individuals aged 10 to 35, Ho said that increased time spent on social media is associated with declining mental health in young people, making them more vulnerable to mood disorders and anxiety, adding that the youngest cases in which Sheng Kung Hui reached out to parents for assistance involved excessive use of electronic devices by children aged six to eight. He also did not rule out the possibility that some children might begin overusing electronic devices at even younger ages.
During yesterday’s current affairs programme, several callers expressed concern about their children’s internet addiction. One caller, a woman surnamed Sio, remarked that it was difficult for teenagers to distinguish between right and wrong. She pointed out that some social media platforms are difficult to regulate and suggested that the government consider following the example of other countries and regions to ban specific platforms.
The DSEDJ officials pointed out during the phone-in programme that digital literacy encompasses the ability to effectively use the internet and understand its values, and that with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), one could only expect young people’s online activities to increase and become even more integral to their lives. Cheang said: “We cannot avoid the current cyber world or information technology, but we can adopt a positive and correct attitude and values to meet the needs of society in the future”.
Cheang stressed the importance of utilising the revised framework and foundation of the DSEDJ school curriculum from preventive and educational perspectives, emphasising the need to help students learn about the use of the internet and the ethical values involved, as well as how to effectively and appropriately navigate the cyber world.
Leong underlined that “the internet is not a place for lawlessness”.
To equip students with essential IT skills for their future, various local schools have gradually integrated information technology into their education – and Leong said that the use of electronic devices on campus is common, with students using them to look up information and for group presentations. However, he emphasised, all schools in Macau generally have regulations regarding the use of mobile phones and other electronic devices on campus.
Leong also revealed that reference guidelines will be issued in the upcoming school year to specify when and how long students may use electronic devices on campus. He added that the bureau has already implemented support measures to assist schools in purchasing mobile phone cabinets for the centralised management of students’ devices.
Leong emphasised the rational use of such devices, while Cheang referenced international test data indicating that students should ideally use the internet for one to two hours a day on average and take breaks after 20 minutes of using electronic products, adding that using information technology at appropriate times can enhance students’ performance in mathematics and creative thinking.
Leong suggested that parents build up trust with their children and cultivate social relationships in real life first, and then gradually teach them how to use the internet properly, urging parents to prevent their children from becoming involved in social media platforms too early.
A secondary school student walks along the street in San Kio district looking at his mobile phone. – Photo: Yuki Lei
