Social media bans for children have been a topic of debate in Australia, with experts suggesting that all states should implement such measures. Rachael Sharman, a child psychologist and researcher from the University of Sunshine Coast, believes that social media use has significant negative effects on the psychosocial wellbeing of children and adolescents. She argues that beyond addiction, social media disrupts normal brain development and has downstream consequences. This view is supported by the South Australian Premier, Peter Malinauskas, who is exploring the feasibility of a ban for children under 14.
The proposal in South Australia suggests that children aged 14 and 15 would also require parental consent to access social media. Premier Malinauskas emphasizes the need to protect children from the potential mental health impacts of social media. Similarly, New South Wales (NSW) has announced its own intentions to raise the minimum age for social media use to 16. Premier Chris Minns believes that children should be older before engaging with these platforms. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese supports these measures, acknowledging that many Australians are concerned about children’s easy access to inappropriate content on social media.
However, the enforceability of a social media ban raises questions. Implementing compulsory age verification measures would impact all users, including adults. Rob Nicholls, a policy specialist and senior research associate at the University of Sydney, highlights the challenges of age verification. One method could involve uploading a photo or video of a child’s ID, but this raises privacy concerns and contradicts online safety guidelines. Mr. Nicholls suggests that supervised screen time or limiting device access by parents may be more effective. Nevertheless, issues such as children borrowing devices from friends at school complicate these approaches.
In conclusion, while there is growing support for social media bans for children in Australia, implementing such measures proves challenging. Experts argue that social media has detrimental effects on children’s wellbeing and development, warranting age restrictions. However, enforcing age verification and ensuring privacy protection present significant obstacles. Alternative measures, such as supervised screen time, may be more feasible but still face limitations. These discussions highlight the need for comprehensive strategies that balance the benefits and risks of social media use for children.
