KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 -- Online maturity among children and teenagers goes beyond simply mastering technology. It also involves emotional awareness to set personal privacy boundaries and the ability to recognise manipulation and potential risks in the digital world.

Assistant Professor and psychiatrist Dr Hijaz Ridzwan of the Department of Psychiatry, Kulliyyah of Medicine at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), said those under 16 are still developing emotionally, making them more prone to impulsive, emotionally driven decisions rather than rational thinking.

"Social media use requires a certain level of maturity. Younger teens are more likely to post content in the heat of the moment without considering long-term conseque...