Senator Robin Padilla said that kids today are weak, adding that, unlike in the 1980s and 1990s, they were unfamiliar with the word depression.

During the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media hearing on Wednesday, February 11, Padilla recalled how previous generations used to play, camp, and make friends on the streets.

“Ang mga bata po ngayon. Sad to say, huwag kayong magagalit sa akin. Naku, maraming bata ang magagalit siguro, pero pasensya na kayo. You are weak…Noong panahon namin hindi uso yung salitang ‘depression,” he said.

“Hindi ko nga alam ‘yon e, kung ano yung depression. Ngayon, batang maliit sasabihin, ‘I’m depressed,” he added.

Padilla, who also chairs the said committee, made the remark as he opened the discussion on the rise of cyberbullying and the dangers of social media usage among the youth.

Social Media Regulation or Ban?

According to Padilla, the senators have proposed several bills on regulating social media. Moreover, he said that he is looking into proposing a bill to ban social media, similar to that of Australia, France, and Italy, for those 16 years old and below.

Berni Moestafa, head of Meta’s Public Policy for Indonesia and the Philippines, said they are trying to address the concerns with social media use among the youth, but emphasized that there is no need to ban children from accessing digital platforms.

“We do think that the need for [a] ban is not there, given that the children have a right to access digital platforms. However, we want to make sure that they are protected,” Moestafa explained.

“Balancing their rights for digital participation and safety becomes a priority to us to make sure…especially children above 13 [years old] have the right to participate and be a voice on platforms and participate as well in all the benefits that our platforms provide. But of course, with the right protection measures in place,” he added.

Following Padilla's remark on depression, Psychologist Riyan Portuguez—commonly known on social media as Your Millennial Psychologist—responded, stating that during the 80s and 90s, there was a lack of mental health awareness.