This is the clarification of Senator Robin Padilla about this remark.
Senator Robin Padilla says that the youth today are weak, and this is his explanation behind this controversial remark.
“Kids nowadays, sadly, please don’t get mad at me — oh, I’m sure many of you will get upset — but forgive me… you are weak,” Senator Robin Padila said during a discussion on various measures regarding children’s safety on social media. This was a remark he made at a hearing of the Senate committee on public information and mass media, which he heads.
According to him, during the 80s and 90s, the kids were not crybabies, as they had mainly learned from the streets. They did not just sit down and cry.
“In our time, the word ‘depression’ wasn’t commonly used. I didn’t even know what it was. Nowadays, even small kids say, ‘I’m depressed,” Padilla said. He also lamented how youth become addicted to social media, which even prompted him and the other legislators to file bills that would either regulate or ban the use of this, just like in other countries.
In a Facebook post, he explained his remarks, saying that it was not intended as an insult, but it was more of speaking his observation. According to him, this observation is supported by studies linking excessive social media use to anxiety, depression, lack of sleep, and low self-esteem.
Based on his statement, he believes that children should not be blamed entirely for the effects of social media on their behavior and well-being. He added that if social media platforms are intentionally designed to keep users hooked, it would be unfair to expect children to manage these pressures on their own when they are still just developing their self-control.
He expressed, “Sa pamamagitan ng mga panukalang ito, layunin nating bigyan ang kabataan ng mas ligtas na digital space upang sila ay lumaking mas matatag, mas may kumpiyansa, at mas handa sa hinaharap.”
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