Australia’s government is practicing a countrywide ban for social media for children under 16. 

Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, along with the rest of Australia’s government, has decided to go with this decision because “social media is doing social harm to our young Australians,” Prime Minister Albanese stated. Australia is cooperating with many social media companies such as Meta and Google to comply with this ban. One year after the ban is approved by the government, it will be effective nationwide. 

Albanese has added that Australian families needed to prioritize the “safety and mental health of young people.” According to a study from UCSF, research has shown that social media has caused a form of anxiety among some people. This includes fear of missing out, constantly checking texts, and wanting a perfect life according to social media’s standards. 

However, this law is stirring up controversy. Social media platforms such as Instagram, X, Snapchat, and Facebook are banned and considered social media, but this also includes YouTube and Reddit, which is considered more of a forum than a social media platform. Many young teens will find loopholes in this system, such as using proxies, VPNs, and smaller and lesser-known communication sites, such as Mzelo, rendering this law somewhat ineffective. Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has spoken out against this ban. “The evidence is in and it’s clear that banning young people from YouTube is not the solution. You don’t make platforms safer by just locking young people out. This report is a call to action for our parliament to stop the toxic tech giants damaging our democracy and targeting our kids,” she stated.

This ban marks a pivotal moment in the conversation around technology’s influence on society, triggering reflection on responsibility and regulation.