ITS EDUCATION ASIA ARTICLE

Childhood on Trial: What Zuckerberg's Senate Showdown Means for Hong Kong, Mental Health, and the SDGs

By Richard Hinchman

This article is inspired by the countless children I see in Hong Kong on a regular basis like the one depicted above. In fact, The AI refused to generate a more realistic image as it depicts children in a ‘derogatory or harmful manner.’ This should be telling us something important about society and how children are being raised in general in this new age of brain-rot doomscrolling – and yes, that is a real and increasingly commonly used term. It is no wonder that I watched with skeptical satisfaction as this week’s dramatic scene in Washington started to play out—Mark Zuckerberg sitting before the U.S. Senate as lawmakers confronted him with stories of children harmed by social media— to me, it kind of felt like a global turning point. The hearing, watched around the world, crystallised a truth many parents, educators, and psychologists have been whispering for years: childhood is being reshaped by forces no one ever voted for, and the consequences are becoming impossible to ignore.

Hong Kong is now part of that conversation. As local legislators and child?advocacy groups debate whether the city should follow other countries in restricting youth access to social media (I sincerely hope they do), the question is gaining urgency. Rising student anxiety, screen addiction, cyberbullying, and declining attention spans are no longer abstract concerns—they are daily realities in classrooms and homes across the city. The idea of Hong Kong introducing age?based restrictions, digital?curfew policies, or mandatory parental consent is no longer hypothetical. It is being openly discussed.

And the global context is shifting fast. Australia is exploring a nationwide ban on social media for children under 16 after a major review concluded that platforms pose significant developmental risks. Spain has announced a ban on smartphones for children under 12 and restrictions for those under 16. France now requires parental consent for under?15s to open accounts. The UK’s Online Safety Act imposes sweeping obligations on platforms to protect minors. Even within the U.S., states like Utah have introduced laws requiring parental consent for all under?18 social media accounts. The world is moving toward a new consensus: Big Tech cannot be left to shape childhood alone.

What makes this moment even more striking is the growing body of research suggesting that today’s children may be the first generation to perform worse cognitively than their parents. Several longitudinal studies in Europe and the United States have documented declines in problem?solving, working memory, and verbal reasoning scores—reversals of the long?standing “Flynn effect,” which saw IQ scores rise steadily throughout the 20th century. Researchers point to a mix of factors: reduced sleep, fragmented attention, lower reading exposure, and the pervasive influence of digital multitasking. While the causes are complex, the trend is clear enough to alarm developmental psychologists. When a generation’s cognitive stamina and deep?focus capacity begin to erode, the implications stretch far beyond test scores.

This is where Hong Kong’s concerns intersect with global ones. Children here grow up in one of the world’s most digitally saturated, academically pressured environments. Parents work long hours. Students face relentless competition. Screens fill the gaps. What used to be called “absentee parenting” because of physical absence has evolved into something more subtle: parents who are present but digitally outpaced, unsure how to supervise online lives that unfold faster than they can understand. Meanwhile, algorithms—silent, tireless, and profit?driven—step in as uninvited co?parents, shaping children’s self?image, friendships, worldview, and even their sense of identity.

The Sustainable Development Goals offer a powerful lens for understanding why this matters. SDG 3 on health and wellbeing is threatened by rising youth anxiety and depression. SDG 4 on quality education is undermined by attention fragmentation and declining cognitive stamina. SDG 5 on gender equality is challenged by the disproportionate harm girls face from body?image pressures and online harassment. SDG 10 on reduced inequalities is strained as children with fewer resources or less parental oversight face greater digital risks. SDG 16 on peace and strong institutions is weakened by misinformation, cyberbullying, and online radicalisation that often begin in adolescence. This is not a niche concern. It is a global development challenge that touches health, education, equity, and social cohesion.

Thing is, bans and regulations, while necessary, are not enough. Childhood cannot be rebuilt through legislation alone. Children need adults who understand the online world, who can set healthy boundaries, and who can help them build resilience, digital literacy, and emotional awareness. They need schools that address wellbeing alongside academics. They need communities that recognise that childhood has fundamentally changed—and that our responses must change with it.

This is where ITS Education Asia steps in. At ITS, we work directly with young people, families, and schools to build the skills and support systems needed to thrive in a digital age. Our programmes combine personalised learning, wellbeing?centred guidance, and digital literacy education with a deep understanding of youth development. We help students reconnect with themselves, their goals, and their potential—online and offline.

We here in Hong Kong and everyone else in the world owe it to themselves to get on top of this now.  The first step in fixing a problem is recognizing it exists.