Japan drafts guidelines for internet use based on children’s development

Tokyo (ANTARA) — The Japanese government’s expert panel on Tuesday (10 November) announced draft guidelines for parents and guardians on children’s internet use, tailored to their age and stage of development.

The guidelines emphasise communication and advice as the preferred approach.

They divide children aged 0 to 18 into six developmental stages and recommend gradually expanding the types of online activity they can undertake independently.

For example, the expert panel at the Children and Families Agency recommends that parents and guardians teach junior and senior high school students, who generally use social media, about the risks of posting content online. They are also urged to respect children’s autonomy and privacy.

The panel will continue discussing the guidelines, including the possibility of imposing blanket age-based restrictions on social media use. A final report is expected to be drawn up as early as December.

The guidelines also set out measures to protect children from harmful online content and internet addiction, while recognising the importance of the internet for learning, self-expression and communication.

For children aged two and under, the guidelines prioritise face-to-face interaction. They also recommend that parents or guardians discuss and agree household internet-use rules with children aged 10 to 12, who are likely to use tablets at school.

For young people aged 16 to 18, who are generally in senior high school, the guidelines recommend that parents and guardians focus on offering advice and support when asked. This would allow teenagers to develop decision-making skills by considering the potential consequences of their social media posts.

An interim report released by the panel in July proposed requiring social media operators to introduce stricter age-verification measures. The final report is expected to include specific methods for implementing the requirement.