Removing a pernicious influence or cutting off connection? Five University of the Sunshine Coast experts comment on Australia's social media ban for under 16s, with the law set to come into force by 10 December.
UniSC Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, Dr Joseph Scott
“The social media ban for young people couldn't come soon enough. The evidence linking social media addiction and significant physical and mental health issues in young people is overwhelming. It paints a bleak future for our youth and called for an urgent and significant change.
“Young people remain vulnerable and need our protection. For too long we have watched our kids be lured in by tantalising social media platforms purposely created to capture their attention, glue them to their screens and fuel addiction. Our young people and their developing brains don't stand a chance against these conglomerates, so while a ban seems extreme, a change is urgently needed.
“Teachers, particularly Health and Physical Education teachers, will play a pivotal role in helping young people navigate the shift and understand the significant health benefits it may unlock. Guidance and support for parents, caregivers and teachers is needed for effective implementation of the ban. While it will inevitably have teething issues and be difficult to enforce, it's a step in the right direction.
“As the nation moves toward implementation, Australians should take pride in leading the global conversation on youth digital safety. If we don’t act to protect the next generation, who will?”
The evidence linking social media addiction and significant physical and mental health issues in young people is overwhelming.
UniSC Postdoctoral researcher in adolescent brain development, Thompson Institute, Dr Taliah Prince
“Australia’s social media ban for under-16s aims to protect young people from harm – but is it cutting off the branches while leaving the roots? Rather than prohibition, Australia could lead the world by trialling privacy-friendly tools that help detect harmful behaviour and alert trusted adults so they can assist children to stay safely connected online.
“Other global studies have warned that blanket bans are too blunt and lack empirical support. Most Australian children (85 percent) already use social media despite age limits, and 95 percent of parents rank online safety as their top concern. Could this ban drive young people to create fake accounts or use VPNs, making harms harder to monitor?
“If this ban fails, visibility may be the key to protection. Privacy-respectful analytics can track public data, detect bullying or distress, and provide simple wellbeing reports to trusted adults. These tools enable parents, schools and communities to step in early and support young people, without cutting them off from connection, which itself is linked to better mental health.”
Could this ban drive young people to create fake accounts or use VPNs, making harms harder to monitor?
UniSC Lecturer in Psychology, Researcher in Body Image, Social Media, and Women’s Health, Dr Angela Hinz
“The government’s social media ban is a reinforcement of the importance of dealing with the known harms of social media when it comes to adolescents’ mental health, sense of identity, and body image. It provides a welcome ‘window of opportunity’ – a chance to apply what we’ve learned through the substantial amount of research in this field, and the valuable resources that have already been developed.
“These resources can be used to help parents and young people cultivate the skills needed to navigate social media effectively and positively when the time comes. It would be incredible to see young people entering the world of social media equipped with skills of self-awareness, compassion for themselves and others, and the ability to critically consider the content they’re consuming.
“This ban sends a powerful message to social media platforms, asking them to take greater responsibility and improve their practices to ensure the wellbeing of young people, not just in Australia but all over the world.”
UniSC Senior Lecturer, Psychology, Dr Rachael Sharman
“The social media ban is an important first step in ensuring children return to a healthy developmental environment for their physical, psychosocial and emotional development.
“All of these are foundations to building good interpersonal relationships, self-regulation and advanced cognitive skills such as critical thinking and theory of mind (understanding the mindsets, intentions and agendas of other people).
“The logistics of the ban remain under question, and I look forward to seeing how this will be managed. However, if successful, this will give parents and families the opportunity to reclaim childhood, and ensure the building blocks of the brain are set in place before exposure to what has proved to be a most pernicious influence.
“I suspect the rest of the world is taking such an extraordinary interest in this Australian initiative, to see when and how they can best follow suit for improved wellbeing of their future generations.”
"There are literally thousands of social media platforms, and the government will not be able to police all of them."
UniSC Senior Lecturer, Public Relations, Dr Karen Sutherland
“While the government can be commended for attempting to protect Australia’s young people with its social media ban for under 16s, the reality of how it will actually work is unclear.
“There are literally thousands of social media platforms, and the government will not be able to police all of them. It also seems that this decision has been made without careful review of the 15,000 submissions made from the public regarding this legislation.
“Banning technology on its own is not the answer and may also have negative consequences. Research from UniSC’s Thompson Institute suggests that in a cyberbullying situation, cutting off access to technology can have negative impacts because it also isolates the victim from their support network.
“This problem is much more complex than a ban can fix. There needs to be greater education for children, parents, and the wider community regarding the critical, safe, and responsible use of technology including social media.”
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