Japan Unveils Guidelines for Children's Internet Use

The guidelines recommend gradually reducing direct parental supervision as children mature, shifting toward advice and consultation between the ages of 13 and 15. For those aged 16 to 18, children should generally make their own decisions about internet use, with parents providing support when necessary.

For children aged 6 to 9, the recommendations emphasize increasing opportunities to think independently and make choices, while those aged 10 to 12 should gradually be given greater freedom to decide how they use the internet.

The approach reflects growing recognition that children's online experiences differ considerably depending on their age, development, personality, and individual circumstances. Rather than imposing uniform restrictions on internet use, the guidelines aim to help families adjust supervision as children become more independent, while respecting their privacy and judgment.

The announcement comes as governments around the world introduce or consider restrictions on children's access to social media. Japan is examining whether similar age-based limits should be imposed on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and other services, with officials expected to reach a conclusion before the end of the year.

A government survey of people aged 15 to 39 found that more than half of respondents supported age restrictions on social media in every five-year age group surveyed.

Supporters argue that stronger controls are necessary to protect children from online harassment, sexual exploitation, criminal recruitment, and exposure to harmful material. Critics, however, warn that social media can provide an essential source of friendship and emotional support, particularly for young people who feel isolated from their schools or communities.

Australia has become a prominent example of the international movement toward stricter controls, introducing legislation prohibiting children under 16 from using certain social media services. The restrictions took effect in December 2025, making Australia the first country to implement such a nationwide measure.

The campaign for tighter regulation has been driven partly by families whose children suffered serious harm through social media.

In Melbourne, an awareness campaign held on October 23rd encouraged young people to step away from their phones and spend time running around an athletics track.

Among those involved was Wayne Holdsworth, whose 17-year-old son Mac died by suicide in 2023 after becoming the victim of online sexual extortion.

Mac had been contacted through social media by someone claiming to be an 18-year-old woman who persuaded him to send intimate photographs. He was subsequently threatened by an unknown man who demanded money and warned that the images would be distributed online.

Despite paying approximately 50,000 yen, Mac's photographs were circulated on the internet. His death prompted his father to campaign for stronger protections for children using social media.

Holdsworth described the lasting impact on his family, saying, "We have to live with the memories of our son. It is a different life from the one we had before."

He also stressed the importance of education in preventing similar tragedies, saying that society must teach children about online dangers and help reduce the risks they face.

The Australian restrictions have attracted international attention, while other countries, including Turkey and some U.S. states, have introduced measures governing children's access to social media. France has also faced constitutional concerns over restrictions, including questions about freedom of expression, illustrating the legal and practical difficulties involved.

In Japan, however, the experiences of young social media users demonstrate why blanket restrictions remain controversial.

A third-year high school student in Chiba Prefecture, identified as Yuko, described how social media had been both a source of serious psychological distress and an important means of rebuilding her relationships with others.

When she was in sixth grade, Yuko had stopped attending school because of bullying. After posting videos on YouTube, she received abusive comments from users who mocked her circumstances and spread information about her absence from school.

She recalled feeling completely isolated, saying, "I felt as though I was the only person left in the world."

The online harassment contributed to episodes of hyperventilation and self-harming behavior, and she was subsequently diagnosed with acute stress disorder.

During that period, she expressed her distress by writing messages on the walls of her room, including words criticizing herself and describing her exhaustion.

Yet social media eventually provided a way out of that isolation.

Through TikTok, Yuko met other young people who shared her interests. Their conversations developed through direct messages, and some friendships continued on the messaging application LINE.

"I've made friends through social media, and those relationships have helped me a great deal," she said. "If social media were completely banned, I think many children would lose the place where they feel they belong."

Her mother expressed similar concerns, explaining that online relationships had become particularly important after her daughter lost opportunities to connect with people through school.

"If I had taken away my eldest daughter's smartphone at that time, there is a possibility she might have taken her own life," she said, warning that uniformly removing internet access from vulnerable children could have dangerous consequences.

Having experienced both the harmful and beneficial sides of social media, Yuko favors a more selective approach to regulation.

She suggested that watching videos does not necessarily require strict age restrictions, but that functions allowing users to exchange comments and direct messages should be more closely controlled because of the potential for harassment and exploitation.

She also emphasized the importance of relationships outside the internet, including family members and friends, as a foundation for young people's well-being.

Other teenagers expressed concerns that losing access to social media would make it difficult to obtain information or participate in conversations with classmates, leaving them socially excluded.

Parents and members of the public also offered differing views on the appropriate age for social media use.

Some argued that elementary school children should not be allowed to create social media accounts, while others believed that children in the upper grades of elementary school could begin using such services once they developed the ability to distinguish reliable information from harmful content.

Others supported restrictions on daily screen time, citing difficulties concentrating on schoolwork after spending extended periods using smartphones.

Some respondents favored delaying access until the age of 18, while others argued that supervision should remain the responsibility of individual families rather than being determined by nationwide regulations.

The debate has also raised questions about the potential effects of prolonged exposure to short-form videos on children's cognitive development, attention spans, and ability to engage with longer written material.

Experts have suggested that excessive use of such content may adversely affect developing cognitive and noncognitive abilities, although the effectiveness of uniform age restrictions in preventing these problems remains uncertain.

Alternatives under discussion include limiting the amount of time children can spend on social media, introducing stronger controls over communication functions, and using artificial intelligence to identify or restrict potentially harmful content.

The Children and Families Agency's proposed guidelines take a different approach from outright bans by emphasizing age-appropriate parental involvement across internet use generally, rather than focusing exclusively on social media.

Under the six-stage framework, younger children would receive closer supervision, with increasing opportunities to make decisions independently as they grow older.

For those aged 13 to 15, parents would gradually move away from direct control and concentrate on providing advice and discussing potential problems. For teenagers aged 16 to 18, personal decision-making would become the guiding principle, with parental intervention reserved for situations where support is needed.

The agency's approach also recognizes that children of the same age may have different levels of maturity and face different risks, making individual circumstances an important consideration in determining suitable restrictions.

Parents already employ a wide range of measures, including limiting smartphone use to certain hours, requiring approval before applications can be installed, and restricting access to particular social media services.

Such measures are intended to give children greater freedom gradually while maintaining safeguards against harmful interactions and excessive screen time.

The government is also examining whether social media companies should face stronger regulatory obligations to prevent children from being exposed to bullying, sexual exploitation, and other online dangers.

Officials are expected to consider the views of specialists before compiling a final report by the end of 2026.

The central challenge for policymakers is to determine how Japan can strengthen protection against increasingly complex online threats without depriving young people of the communication, friendships, and support networks that have become an important part of their daily lives.

Source: FNN