New Delhi, March 12 (IANS) Rajya Sabha member and former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh on Thursday raised concerns over the growing spread of obscene content on social media platforms and its harmful impact on teenagers, calling for stricter regulation and stronger laws to curb the problem.

Speaking to IANS outside the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Harbhajan Singh stressed that while social media is a powerful tool for communication, knowledge and innovation, its misuse is becoming a serious concern. He said platforms such as Instagram are increasingly being used in ways that expose children to content resembling soft pornography.

He said that in the current social media era, obscene material has become so easily accessible that children, sometimes as young as 12 or 13, can reach such content with a single click, often without fully understanding what they are being exposed to. According to him, such exposure can have a damaging impact on the mental and moral development of young children.

Harbhajan Singh described the issue as extremely serious, saying it goes beyond being merely a technical or legal matter and directly affects society, morality, and the future of the country’s younger generations. He warned that easy access to pornographic material could distort children’s understanding of relationships and respect, particularly towards women.

The Rajya Sabha member said that allowing such content to circulate freely on social media could harm the country’s social fabric and influence the behaviour and attitudes of young users. He emphasised that social media should primarily be used for education, learning and creative engagement rather than for spreading harmful and obscene material.

Calling for stronger action, Harbhajan Singh said there should be strict restrictions and stringent laws to block pornographic websites and regulate objectionable content online. He stressed the need for stronger monitoring mechanisms, age-verification systems and strict penalties for those who violate rules.

He noted that while freedom of expression is an important pillar of democracy, it must be balanced with safeguards to ensure that children are protected from harmful content and that society is not adversely affected by its spread.

–IANS

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