January 31, Colombo (LNW): The College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka (CCPSL) has expressed grave concern over the role of social media in the increasing number of child suicides in the country.
According to the organisation, the surge in cases of child suicide is a significant public health issue, with more than 200 incidents reported in 2024 alone.
Dr. Kapila Jayaratne, the Chairperson of the CCPSL, revealed that the number of suicides among children under the age of 18 has seen a troubling rise.
In 2022, 133 child suicides were recorded, but unofficial reports suggest that figure nearly doubled in 2023, reaching an alarming 270 cases.
Dr. Jayaratne highlighted that while there are various contributing factors to these tragic events, the influence of social media has been identified as a key concern.
“We are currently exploring measures to address this growing problem, including the potential for regulating or even limiting social media access for children,” Dr. Jayaratne said. “We have gathered substantial information on the matter and plan to share further recommendations within the next week or two.“
Whilst acknowledging that social media can offer educational and social benefits, the CCPSL is particularly concerned about its negative impact on children’s mental health, with many of the younger generation experiencing cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content, and pressure to conform to unrealistic online standards.
The CCPSL is working on developing a set of guidelines aimed at better regulating social media use, to help safeguard children from its adverse effects.
