In today’s borderless digital age, social media platforms such as TikTok, X, YouTube and WhatsApp are no longer unfamiliar territory for children and teenagers. These platforms have become their preferred spaces for play and entertainment, learning, information-seeking and social interaction. It is not an exaggeration to say that many of them are “growing up” faster in the virtual world than in real life. Children as young as four, for instance, are already exposed to global narratives and able to express emotions by saying “poor” Palestine, describing Israel as “bad”, or even recognising who Donald Trump is — all learned through social media.