During another meeting on the reform of the use of social media among adolescents, held at the Auberge de Castille, Prime Minister Robert Abela expressed satisfaction that many people have made a conscious choice to participate in this discussion about a sector, that of social media, which is growing in importance.
He said that the active participation in this public consultation fills him with courage, as he noted that the phase in which the Government is listening is currently underway and, based on these consultative discussions, will be reaching a collective decision of the people.
The Prime Minister stated that the extensive use of mobile phones and social media among children and adolescents is a reality that many parents are talking to us about. He stated that through this public consultation the Government is choosing to take action that will make a difference. He added that the decision we need to make is not whether something should be done or not. “I believe that the absolute majority of our people believe that something should be done. Therefore we must take it as far as we need to go,” said Dr Abela.
He added that the aim of this reform is that, as far as possible, adolescents and children take more interest and give priority to physical activity in general. Therefore, he stressed the need to strike a balance. He stated that, while we are not late in making decisions, the Government will not be dragging its feet in making the necessary decisions for the good of society.
As he recalled that this public consultation period will end next week, Prime Minister Robert Abela concluded by saying that this public consultation will lead to an informed decision being made on a sector that is fluid and that the Government will be making consulted and informed decisions in favour of the younger generation and all generations of our country.
Also participating in this discussion was Dr Lydia Abela who said that this is a crucial discussion because it directly affects children. At the same time, she expressed satisfaction with this initiative. “We know that although social media has its good points, it is also having a number of negative effects especially on children and even on their mental health among other things,” said Dr Lydia Abela.
She also took the opportunity to thank those who are active on social media, such as content creators and influencers, who through the content they upload on social media help to raise awareness about important topics and of public interest. At the same time, she called for a more responsible use of social media, with a sense of respect and with a greater awareness of the impact that content can have.
Minister for Social Policy and Children’s Rights Michael Falzon explained how social media, especially among young people, can be used in a positive way to facilitate learning, communication and creativity, but it can also be used in a bad way with serious consequences. He recalled that, nowadays, cyber bullying and cyber stalking are crimes in themselves.
Minister Falzon said that there are several possibilities that can be considered on how this reform can be conducted, including prevention and education measures, as well as interventions that strengthen the protection and safety of children and adolescents online. He stressed that, through this consultative process, the Government will be reaching a decision that will invest not only in the well-being of children, but also in the well-being of society as a whole.
Parliamentary Secretary for Equality and Reforms Rebecca Buttigieg said that both as a politician and as a mother she believes that there should be this reform so that there is regulation that provides protection for children and adolescents. She said that in these public consultation meetings a common sentiment was felt that in addition to the positive aspects of social media there are also other negative aspects especially for children that need to be regularized.
Rebecca Buttigieg said that a number of countries have begun to take action to regulate social media. She said that as a nation we have a duty to regulate social media and that is why this consultation process is being carried out so that the reform is best suited to the realities of our country because we are not simply adopting what is being done in other countries, also because each country is adapting regulation according to its realities.
During this discussion, many people participated, including parents, adolescents, educators, content creators, influencers, representatives of non-governmental organizations, as well as the Commissioner for Children. The discussion touched on various themes, including whether regulation should be solely in the hands of the Government or whether operators and platforms should also bear some of the responsibility.
The need to provide children and adolescents with opportunities to make use of digital tools and learn to use them in a safe, responsible and balanced manner was also highlighted. At the same time, the positive and negative elements that can result from the use of social media were discussed. It was also discussed how the use of social media is influencing the way children and adolescents socialize with the rest of society, and the impact this is having on the daily lives of adolescents.
The public can make submissions to the green paper on this reform via the website publicconsultation.gov.mt. The public consultation will end on 27 February 2026.
