Senator Robinhood Padilla on Wednesday, Feb. 11, called for a deeper review of the effects of excessive social media use on the youth.

Speaking during a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media, he warned that social media is depriving the youth of meaningful childhood experiences and weakening their emotional resilience.

He said that they are missing out on traditional forms of play, social interaction, and personal development that previous generations experienced before the rise of digital platforms.

He recalled growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, when children spent more time playing outdoors, forming friendships, and learning life lessons through real-world interactions.

Padilla lamented that many children today are spending too much time on social media, which he said has diminished their sense of adventure, social skills, and emotional strength.

"Ang mga bata po ngayon, sad to say, huwag kayo magagalit sakin, naku maraming batang magagalit siguro pero pasensya na kayo, you are weak (Children today, sad to say, don’t get mad at me, I know many of you might be upset, but I’m sorry, you are weak)," he said.

He also expressed concern over what he described as the growing tendency of young people to label themselves as depressed, noting that such terms were rarely used during his generation.

"Nung panahon namin hindi uso yung salitang depression. Hindi ko nga alam yun eh, kung ano yung depression. Ngayon batang maliit, sasabihin I'm depressed. Magulo eh (“In our time, the word ‘depression’ wasn’t common. I didn’t even know what depression was. Now, even young children say, ‘I’m depressed.’ It’s chaotic)," he said.

Padilla urged fellow lawmakers to seriously examine what children are losing as a result of excessive exposure to social media and to consider policy interventions that would help protect their mental health, emotional development, and overall well-being.