• Adithya Manikandan

The increasing presence of children in social media platforms raise concerns for their personal safety, privacy and overall well-being. As many children are exposed to social media, they are indeed exposed to risks such as exploitation, cyberbullying and privacy violations. Additionally, the vulnerability of them is also tested by poor parental guidance and lack of awareness. The legal systems lack specific provisions to govern Cyber bullying and digital privacy crimes. In spite of living provisions in national and international legal bodies, there exist a gap between implementation of these provisions from paper to reality, mainly concerned with enforcement and safeguarding children’s data from being misused. This article explores the challenges faced by children in the digital world, stressing on the negative impacts of harmful and faked content, peer pressure, and excessive use of social media on their mental health and development. The article also underscores the need for deepened awareness among parents, educators, and, mainly, children regarding the risks of unsupervised social media interactions. It examines various legal provisions, policies and guidelines in the Indian Legal System regarding protection of child protection, highlighting worldclass standards and efforts taken by the government and corporate companies to address the issues. The article culminates by offering practical recommendations for improving child safety measures against social media, enhancing media literacy and promoting collaborations between social media platforms, parents, and educators to create a safer and supportive mode of digital environment for children.

Social media, Cyberbullying, Cyber-security, Child Protection, Cyber-realism

"The Legal Landscape of Cyberbullying and Social Media Privacy: Challenges and Opportunities to Protect Children", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 2, page no.d304-d310, February-2025, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2502336.pdf

"The Legal Landscape of Cyberbullying and Social Media Privacy: Challenges and Opportunities to Protect Children", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 2, page no. ppd304-d310, February-2025, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2502336.pdf