A version of Australia’s eSafety Commissioner could be a better way to tackle the online harm experienced by under-16s – and New Zealanders of all ages.
Articles on Teen social media bans
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Social media communities on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube have encouraged teens to read for fun. Now, Australian teens are banned from them until they turn 16.
The teenagers will argue the laws restrict their constitutional right to freedom of political communication.
AI is just one of the emerging threats online that won’t be tackled by the social media ban.
The trial’s preliminary findings are hard to square with other evidence.
A key difference between YouTube and other social media platforms is the way that it’s designed to be used.
More than 70% of Australians aged 65 and older use social media to some degree. Improving digital literacy and online safety will help them benefit from it even more.
Young trans people in Australia have much higher rates of suicide, mental health struggles and anxiety disorders – but many find refuge in social media.
The ban will affect platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. But the bill is vague about how exactly these platforms must comply.
Jonathan Haidt’s book The Anxious Generation has set governments against teen social media – and triggered a months-long debate among experts.
Australia’s proposal to bar young people from social media faces similar issues to the ‘clean feed’ internet filter abandoned in 2012.
Children under 14 would be banned from social media, while teens aged 14–15 would need parental consent. But this law will be challenging to implement.
Top contributors
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Professor of Information Sciences & Director, Social Change Enabling Impact Platform, RMIT University
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Senior Tutor in Publishing & Creative Writing, The University of Melbourne
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PhD Candidate in History, Monash University
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Epidemiologist, Senior Research Fellow, University of Wollongong
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PhD Student in Quantitative Psychology, University of Connecticut
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Professor of Digital Communication, Director of QUT Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology
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Research Assistant, UniSA Education Futures, Adelaide University
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Professor of Intersectional Humanities, Maynooth, National University of Ireland, RMIT University
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Senior Lecturer in Marketing, RMIT University
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Associate Professor of Marketing, RMIT University
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Senior Lecturer in Media and Communications, University of Sydney
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Associate Professor, University of Sydney
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Senior Lecturer in Media, Film, and Communication, University of Otago
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Associate Professor in Screen, Flinders University
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Professor of Constitutional Law, Monash University