Considering that previous studies reveal that Filipinos use social media more than other countries, a recently-filed house bill proposes a need for social media education for students–especially in primary and secondary schools.

Also known as House Bill 3114, the bill was filed by Nueva Ecija Representative Ria Vergara. In the explanatory note of the bill, Vergara explains that the measure “aims to instruct and educate school-age children to the responsible and prudent use of the internet and social media platforms so that they may truly benefit from its advantages and avoid the dangers and risks arising from the uninformed and unregulated use thereof.”

In designing the curriculum for Social Media Education, the DepEd will be consulting with the DICT to craft a curriculum framework that will fit specific grade levels. These lessons, which will include discussions on online gaming and gambling, will be introduced to students from Grade 3 to Senior High School.

Vergara also added in her proposed bill that public school teachers should have all the necessary information and skills in teaching the course. These include training modules from DepEd and training sessions that will be made available to private school teacher free of charge.

There are many reasons why this bill is more relevant than ever: aside from the rampant rise of disinformation and fake news, children need to be smart with how they use social media, as they are many predators on the internet that may lure them into illegal activities like human trafficking and child pornography.