Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is planning to set different price rates for internet use, especially for social media sites such as Facebook, in an effort to curb the “addiction” among the youth.
BTRC Chairman Shahjahan Mahmood called the social media use a ‘digital opiate’.
“It is undeniable that mobile phones have brought the internet to everyone,” he said.
“The sad thing is that the younger generation is growing less creative because they browse the internet on their phones.”
“Most of the young people use Facebook to chat. This is not a creative use.”
The excessive use of social media has become a problem in developed countries, he said. The improper use of social media has been linked to depression and other health problems among the younger generation, he said.
Mahmood compared Facebook use to an addiction, reports bdnews24.com.
“It is like a digital cocaine addiction. Once they get into Facebook they can’t get out.”
He said a ‘social revolution’ is needed to return from this situation, and his agency would be taking some steps. BTRC has taken several initiatives to secure the internet.
He said, "We will propose very soon for making any arrangements for the creative users of the internet. If the operators offer a special rate for the use of Facebook as well as another rate for creative use, then they may try to gather knowledge instead of using Facebook."