Social Media Ban – A Closer Look at the Debate 📱
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Posted by: Caféstudy
12th Mar 2025 11:53am
The recent legislation banning social media for under-16s in Australia has generated significant discussion among our Caféstudy members. Although 73% support the ban in principle, 67% simultaneously express doubts about its practical implementation. This tension between ideological support and practical skepticism has dominated this fascinating conversation.
🤔 Support with Implementation Concerns 🤔
Most Caféstudy members acknowledge the potential benefits of the ban, particularly regarding young people's mental health and development. However, a recurring theme centred on implementation challenges.
"I think it's a great idea but I want to know HOW it is going to be implemented... The kids today have such computer skills, they will know how to Beat the System and bypass the age thing."
This sentiment aligns with findings from the Australia Institute (2023), which reported that 78% of Australians believe tech-savvy young people will easily circumvent online age verification measures.
🧠 Protecting Developing Minds 🧠
Many Caféstudy members emphasised how vulnerable young, developing brains are to social media's negative effects. This was particularly evident in comments highlighting the developmental challenges already facing adolescents:
"Under 16s brains aren't fully developed and generally their regulation of emotions isn't that of an adult. Under 16s have enough to deal with - school, puberty, acceptance, stress, changing sleep patterns. To remove this layer which evokes stress and fear from bullying... won't hinder. It will give them back their time and space."
These observations correspond with findings from the Royal Children's Hospital National Child Health Poll (2021), which reported that 50% of Australian children aged 10-17 had experienced online bullying, with social media platforms being the most common avenue for these incidents.
👨👩👧 Parental Responsibility vs. Government Intervention 👨👩👧
We also saw a significant divide emerging between individuals who believe regulation should fall to parents versus those who welcome government intervention.
"Don't tell me how to parent my children! Second, if you raise good humans there will be no issues if they are on social media. It all starts in the home."
The eSafety Commissioner (2022) has documented this tension, reporting that while 87% of parents express concern about their children's online activities, only 46% feel confident in their ability to manage these risks effectively.
🗣 Personal Experiences Shaping Perspectives 🗣
Some of the most compelling responses came from those with direct experience of social media's impact on young people:
"As someone who was 16, 8 years ago - The internet was dangerous then and it's only getting worse as time goes on. I asked a few of my female friends my age and we all agreed if the ban existed when we were younger we would have been way more protected from predators and dangerous social media trends."
Research from the Australian Institute of Family Studies (2024) supports this concern, finding that 30% of Australian teenagers reported being contacted by strangers online, with 15% experiencing some form of solicitation.
💡 Other Solutions 💡
In terms of looking at other solutions, many respondents suggested that while the ban is a meaningful step, it's only part of a comprehensive solution. As one member articulated:
"The ban in isolation would do little to curb/reverse the damage that's already done and continues to pervade. The government need to act on the Tech companies and get changes through the platform designers and operators."
A recent report by Reset Australia (2023) supports this view, recommending a multi-faceted approach including platform design changes, digital literacy education, and greater transparency from tech companies about their algorithms and data practices.
👀 Looking Forward 👀
Whilst Caféstudy members generally supportive toward measures that protect young people from social media harms, significant skepticism exists about the ban's practical enforceability. Most respondents agreed that regardless of implementation challenges, this legislation sends an important message about the potential harms of social media for developing minds.
References
Australian Institute of Family Studies. (2024). Online safety risks for Australian teenagers. https://www.aifs.gov.au/research/online-safety-2024
eSafety Commissioner. (2022). Digital parenting report: Australian perspectives. https://www.esafety.gov.au/research/digital-parenting-2022
Reset Australia. (2023). Redesigning social media for young Australians. https://www.resetaustralia.org/reports/redesigning-social-media
Royal Children's Hospital. (2021). National Child Health Poll: Social media, cyberbullying and young Australians. https://www.rch.org.au/ccch/poll/social-media-2021
The Australia Institute. (2023). Public attitudes toward online age verification measures. https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/age-verification-2023
Comments 5
bj
I am of the older gen, where kids played outside and had fun making and doing stuff. If there was a bully you learnt to stand up for yourself not hide and be lonely. These days if a kid has no mobile phone they get depressed, and go against parents and the rules of life. There is also far too much killing movies full of swear words these days, with people jumping from bed to bed. It is no wonder our kids of today have no idea of real life and how to handle it.
ab
If the young people are saying that they wish regulations were in place when they were 16, that to me is an endorsement that we're on the right track to put regulations in asap.
As for the parents that say 'don't tell me how to raise my kids,' I say this, think of how well your parents raised you and what you got up to behind their back. I don't think these regulations are intended to take your place as a parent, they are your child's protector. You can teach your child road sense, and tell them to ignore strangers and then send them down the road and navigate a crowd to buy some milk from the store or you can send that child to do the same thing, but with an adult friend going with them.
dee
They have to start somewhere, it's a good start
musicmum
My issue is having to provide ID to social media platforms. This is the start of a dystopian future. We need to encourage kids to go back to having a healthier active life. Doing more constructive and creative things instead of watching everyone else on a screen.
mare
I agree to the legislation