Kathmandu, Oct. 17: The widespread sharing of disturbing disaster-related photos and videos on social media is raising concerns about the mental health and emotional well-being of children and adolescents in Nepal.
During floods and landslides, graphic images showing deaths, destroyed homes, and people being swept away by floodwaters are frequently posted and shared online. Repeated exposure to such content can increase fear, anxiety, stress, and feelings of insecurity among children.
Social media algorithms may recommend similar videos repeatedly based on users' viewing history, exposing children to distressing content even after they have watched it once. The lack of effective monitoring of sensitive online material has further contributed to the widespread circulation of such videos.
In one incident in Kathmandu, a child reportedly became frightened and cried after repeatedly watching flood-related videos on their mother's mobile phone. People of different age groups have also reported experiencing fear, trembling, and loss of appetite after viewing disturbing footage.
Sohan Bhujel, a member of Voice of Children's Child Advisory Committee, visited areas affected by the Bhotekoshi flood on the third day after the disaster. He said that many children and adolescents staying at temporary holding centres were occupied with mobile phones, raising concerns about their exposure to distressing online content during an already stressful period.
Raju Ghimire, Deputy Director of Voice of Children and General Secretary of the Children as Zone of Peace (CZOP)-National, highlighted the potential psychological effects of repeatedly viewing distressing disaster videos. These effects may include anxiety, insecurity, sleep disturbances, recurring memories, and fear.
Raj Kumar Maharajan, Director and Spokesperson of the National Cyber Security Centre of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Information Technology and Digital Governance Office, emphasised the need for stronger coordination among relevant authorities and social media platforms to address harmful online content, misinformation, and disinformation.
Director Maharajan has stressed the importance of improved coordination with social media companies in order to deal with harmful content, misinformation and disinformation in Nepal.
He said that steps are currently being taken to work with platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) in order to get harmful content that affects the general public, not just children.
He pointed out that some content still reappears even after having been taken down, which shows the need for further action regarding repeated violations in line with the current laws and procedures.
Maharajan voiced his concern about the increasing dissemination of false information via artificial intelligence (AI), since this technology is capable of producing realistic fake images, videos, and audio recordings.
He emphasised that it is important to increase public awareness in order to meet these challenges. He asked people to check that the information was accurate, trustworthy, and appropriate before posting it on social media and to behave responsibly when liking, commenting on, or retweeting content.
Maharajan also stressed the importance of having particular legal provisions, standards, and guidelines in order to improve children's online safety, since they are susceptible to harmful digital content and it may have long-term effects on their mental and emotional well-being.
The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), through its Child Online Safety Guidelines 2076 and awareness material, emphasises the importance of parental supervision, screen time management, and digital safety measures to protect children from online risks.
Parents are encouraged to monitor children's social media activities, limit screen time, use parental controls , and teach children to report suspicious online activities. These measures are particularly important during disasters when repeated exposure to distressing images and videos can negatively affect children's mental health.
The Authority will develop and implement an online reporting system for incidents of child abuse, with the participation of law enforcement agencies, service providers, and other stakeholders.
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