The algorithm effect: How social media feeds are normalising aggression in children

Sinar Daily

2 days ago

SHAH ALAM – Social media platforms may be unintentionally fuelling bullying by repeatedly feeding young users harmful and violent content.
Experts warned that this constant exposure desensitises children to harm, distorts their understanding of consequences and embeds pro-aggression norms that spill over into real-life schoolyard behaviour.
Manipal University College Malaysia Criminologist Nadiah Syariani Md Shariff said bullying is rarely caused by a single factor, but often emerges from a complex mix of personal, social, environmental, and situational influences.
'Bullying at school involving young age, reflects more pertinent issues such as control and power, apathy, pro-delinquent attitudes, decay of moral values, influence from violent content accessible online or offline, or unwilling bystanders to report or interfere.
'It could be rooted to one factor in a specific case, but mostly is a result of a combination of multiple factors,' she said when reached out by Sinar Daily recently.
Nadiah emphasised that a lack of parental engagement during early childhood development plays a crucial role. Empathy, she explained, begins to form between the ages of 3 and 5.
Poor parenting during this period, she added, can hinder emotional growth and cognitive empathy.
'Without proper guidance, children may grow into individuals who are self-centred, dismissive of others' rights, demanding, and prone to aggression at the slightest provocation,' she said.
She also noted the increasing dominance of screen time in children's lives, with many glued to devices from a young age. This, she said, reduces real-life family interaction, even when everyone is physically together, and heightens exposure to online risks.
Nadiah stated that spending more time online logically leads to greater exposure to digital threats and increased vulnerability. This not only raises the risk of engaging in inappropriate online behaviour but also of becoming a victim of cyberbullying or other forms of cyber harm.
Nadiah further warned that excessive internet use can fuel a host of issues, from cyberbullying and internet addiction to mental health challenges.
'A substantial amount of research showed that high internet engagement, or worse, online addiction, can lead to various problematic behaviours, both online and offline,' she said.
Nadiah pointed out that excessive screen time can lead to agitation, impulsiveness, and poor attention span, while also limiting the development of key interpersonal skills, making it harder to manage emotions and handle pressure effectively.
On the other hand, University Putra Malaysia, Faculty of Human Ecology, Department of Social and Development Sciences, senior lecturer, Dr Wan Munira Wan Jaafar said rising bullying cases in Malaysia are driven by shifts in family dynamics, school environments, community structures and online culture. With almost all Malaysian youths active on social media, cyberbullying has become easier, more anonymous, and more damaging, often amplified by viral sharing, said University Putra Malaysia, Faculty of Human Ecology, Department of Social and Development Sciences, senior lecturer, Dr Wan Munira Wan Jaafar. Photo: Canva
'With almost all Malaysian youths active on social media, cyberbullying has become easier, more anonymous, and more damaging, often amplified by viral sharing.
'At the same time, some children grow up in homes where harsh discipline or domestic violence normalises aggression, while school environments with weak enforcement or seniority culture can encourage bullying to gain status,' she told Sinar Daily recently.
She noted that popular culture and online content that glorify violence or humiliation influence behaviour, especially among boys pressured to assert dominance. In urban areas, the breakdown of close-knit 'kampung' communities has also reduced adult supervision and weakened informal social control.
While the Education Ministry has anti-bullying guidelines, Munira said enforcement is often inconsistent, and reluctance to openly address cases can allow the issue to persist unchecked.
Research has consistently shown that repeated exposure to violent content, be it in films, TV, or video games, can desensitise children, distort empathy, and reinforce the idea that violence is a legitimate way to resolve conflicts.
Munira said in Malaysia, where many youths spend long hours online with little parental oversight, the impact can be even greater.
'Violent media often rewards dominance and humiliation, subtly teaching that such behavior gains respect or entertainment value; attitudes that can spill over into school bullying,' she added.
She further said that from a psychological perspective, Social Learning Theory explains that children imitate behaviours that appear to gain approval or rewards. Cultivation Theory further warns that repeated exposure to violent media gradually shifts a child's worldview, making aggression seem normal or acceptable.
She added that although not all children exposed to such content become bullies, those lacking strong family guidance, facing peer pressure, or growing up in poorly managed school environments are particularly vulnerable.
Munira also emphasised how harmful online trends, such as public shaming, humiliation "challenges", or mocking videos, are often rewarded with likes and shares, reinforcing toxic behaviour among youth.
'In Malaysia, where TikTok, Instagram, and X are highly popular among young users, social approval often comes from aggressive or humiliating content. This sends a message that such behaviour is not only acceptable, but entertaining,' she said.
Munira linked these patterns to Symbolic Interactionism, which explains how the meaning of bullying is redefined through repeated online exposure, transforming it from something 'harmful' to something perceived as 'funny' or 'normal.'
'Peer validation in school now mirrors 'likes' on social media. Once bullying behaviour is normalised online, it becomes easier for it to be replicated offline,' she added.
The rise in bullying, both online and offline, also reflects wider generational and societal shifts. Today's children, members of Gen Z and Gen Alpha, are the first to grow up entirely immersed in digital environments. Their social lives, entertainment, and sense of identity are all shaped online.
In Malaysia, Munira said that this has led to a culture where validation is measured in shares and comments, encouraging behaviour that draws attention, even if it involves humiliation or aggression.
'From a sociological perspective, Symbolic Interactionism helps explain how constant engagement with online content reshapes the meaning of acceptable behavior, while Social Learning Theory suggests that young people model behaviours, including bullying that gain social rewards in digital spaces,' she added.
She pointed out that society has shifted away from communal child-rearing to individualised, screen-focused parenting, reducing adult supervision and allowing digital norms to influence real-world behaviour.
'The result is a generation increasingly exposed to, and sometimes accepting of bullying as part of daily social interaction,' she said.