← Back to list

Is social media responsible for school bullying?

Sep 03, 2025

People should avoid looking for quick solutions to tackle the issue of school bullying.  

Recently, certain quarters have tried to put the blame on unchecked social media usage, and violent media content overall.  

However, experts have cautioned against trying to pin the blame on any one single factor.  

Consultant pediatrician and child activist Dato’ Dr Amar Singh admits that social media should bear some responsibility for bullying behaviour. 

However, he told us that its influence is limited...  

"There is some data showing that cyberbullying is common. There is also some imitation and copycat behavior we see online. There is some evidence to link media violence and aggression.But the general consensus among many experts is that media is not the primary cause of violence."

 As such, Dr Amar is proposing a more holistic approach. 

He says for a start, we should ALL reduce our screen time and interact normally with one another...  

"A general reduction in social media and screen use that should start with adults serving as an example for children. Families and society interacting without digital devices; that would be a good start." 

In addition to this, he stressed the need to promote media literacy and critical thinking among all levels of society...  

"We need to emphasize the role of parents, schools and society in teaching media literacy both to ourselves and our children. They need critical thinking and social skills.'

Dr Amar adds that more effort must be put in, to ensure that Malaysians truly care for one another and care for our mental health... 

"We should invest in education in social empathy programmes. We need to improve access and services for psychosocial health, mental health.' 

All this is in addition to other preventive efforts, both in and outside of schools, to tackle the root causes of bullying. 

Such measures must also help bullying victims and provide counselling and rehabilitation for bullies.