October 22, 2025
PETALING JAYA – Instances of behavioural radicalisation are seen with young people being drawn towards extreme expressions of anger, dominance or self-worth, experts say.
Crime prevention specialist Dr Shamir Rajadurai said young people tend to imitate what gets rewarded online such as aggression, humiliation and anything that goes viral.
“What fuels them is that they are connected to others who validate their behaviours. Violence among youth isn’t born overnight, it’s cultivated quietly in digital corners where emotion goes unregulated and empathy goes offline.
“The antidote isn’t just policing or punishment, but rebuilding connection between child and parent, between online and offline identity, and between community and conscience,” said the co-founder of AntiBuli.my.
When asked whether the use of smartphones and social media is plays a role in influencing young people, Shamir acknowledged that the digital environment has become powerful in shaping the behaviour and identity of today’s youth.
When a child (or even adults) spends hours in algorithm-driven spaces, he said their sense of reward, belonging and even morality becomes subtly conditioned by what is being fed, often leading them to seek comparisons or validation.
“This constant digital stimulation can lower empathy and desensitise users to violence. When violent or extreme content becomes normalised through memes, short videos or online challenges, it blurs the boundary between fantasy and acceptable reality.
“In essence, social media isn’t creating violence but instead it’s accelerating its learning curve,” he said.
A recent study said the global rise in smartphone and social media use has dramatically reshaped childhood and adolescence, with algorithmically engineered digital environments increasingly influencing young people’s capabilities and functionings.
The study entitled “Protecting the Developing Mind in a Digital Age: A Global Policy Imperative” published in the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities by Taylor & Francis pointed out that receiving a smartphone before age 13 is associated with poorer mental health outcomes in young adulthood including suicidal thoughts, detachment from reality, poorer emotional regulation and diminished self-worth.
The study added that these correlations are mediated through social media access, cyberbullying, disrupted sleep and poor family relationships.
It concluded by saying the evidence suggests childhood smartphone ownership, an early gateway into AI-powered digital environments, profoundly diminishes mind health and well-being in adulthood with deep consequences for individual agency and societal flourishing.
In response, Shamir recommends emotional literacy and rebuilding empathy through real-world connection.
“We should encourage volunteerism and mentorship, giving youth a sense of identity and belonging that social media often hijacks. It’s not just about responding to bullying; it’s about intervening before harm escalates into violence,” he said.
He added that there should be more accountability from social media platforms to reduce algorithmic amplification of hate and violence.
Meanwhile, child clinical psychologist Dr Noor Aishah Rosli said smartphones and social media shape how young people think and feel.
“The constant exposure to curated content and violent imagery can desensitise emotions, reduce empathy and normalise aggression without them realising it. They easily get angry and lack sympathy.
“And yes, there’s a subtle form of radicalisation happening online. Many children and youths are drawn into violent or rebellious thinking through exposure to toxic content, peer influence or online communities highlighting aggressive behaviour, thinking or action.
“Thus, we must strengthen emotional education and digital literacy from a young age. Here both parties must be involved in this matter.
“Parents and teachers need to guide and cannot just monitor. Help them to interpret online content and develop empathy and critical thinking,” she said.
On why many parents are unaware of their children’s state of mind, Noor Aishah pointed out that many are disconnected due to stress, work or over-reliance on gadgets to occupy their children.
This, she said, creates emotional distance, so they miss early signs of distress or anger. “Actually most parents are unaware they must teach their children digital literacy. They are not indifferent but lack awareness and emotional tools. Many were raised in environments where feelings were dismissed, so they unintentionally repeat the same pattern with their children,” she said.
Malaysia was recently shocked by the murder of Yap Shing Xuen at SMK Bandar Utama 4 on Oct 14, which saw the subsequent arrest of a 14-year-old suspect.
Authorities seized two knives and a karambit from the suspect.