Senator Robin Padilla drew sharp contrasts between today’s youth and his own generation, saying the current generation is “weak” and more vulnerable to mental health issues due to excessive exposure to social media.
Padilla made the remarks during a Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media hearing on the proposed Children’s Safety in Social Media Act.
He argued that stricter regulation of social media use, especially among minors, has become necessary to protect young Filipinos.
“Ang mga bata po ngayon, sad to say… you are weak,” Padilla said, comparing today’s youth to his generation, which he described as more resilient and less emotionally fragile.
“Hindi kayo katulad noong panahon namin na hindi kami iyakin. Natuto kami sa kalsada, natuto kami na ‘wag umupo at umiyak,” he added.
He noted that mental health terms were not common during his youth, contrasting this with how frequently such issues are discussed today.
“Noong panahon namin, hindi uso ‘yung salitang depression. Ngayon, batang maliit sasabihin, ‘I’m depressed.’ Magulo eh,” he remarked.
According to Padilla, many children are now overly absorbed in social media, spending less time playing outside or socializing in person. He said this shift is costing young people a crucial part of their childhood.
Padilla stressed that the proposed measure seeks to regulate minors’ access to social media platforms.
“Isipin po natin ang mga bata, ang future nila, ang kinabukasan ng mga batang Pilipino. Ang idudulog ko po sa inyo kung ano ang nawawala sa mga bata kapag masyado na sila sa social media—unang una na ‘yung kabataan nila,” he said.