KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 6 -- Gen Z Malaysians, the first generation raised entirely in the digital age, are increasingly spearheading calls to keep children off social media, according to a new survey by global market research firm Ipsos.

The study revealed that 81 per cent of Gen Z respondents in Malaysia agree that children under the age of 14 should be barred from social media platforms both during and outside school hours, marking a sharp jump from 67 per cent recorded a year earlier. This represents the steepest increase in support across any demographic group surveyed.

Support among older cohorts also trended upwards. Gen X backing rose by 13 percentage points to 86 per cent, while Millennial support climbed six points to 85 per cent. ...