Sydney: Australia’s new ban on social media for under-16s should be judged on much more than whether adolescents stay offline, researchers say.
Experts from Flinders University say success of the policy should be measured by its impact on young people’s mental health, school performance, digital literacy, and how they spend their time outside of social media.
They also warn that restricting access may have limited impact unless social media platforms themselves are required to build safer environments to prevent young users from accessing harmful content.
Australia introduced a world-first policy in December last year, preventing children under 16 from holding accounts on major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube.
In new commentary published in the journal The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific, experts outline key considerations for evaluation of the legislation and ensuring it delivers long-term benefits for young people, including the need for alternative safe and secure avenues to reach and communicate with this demographic outside popular social media channels.
Professor Bridianne O’Dea, said researchers are working to assess the policy’s real-world effects. “We shouldn’t only be asking whether teenagers are using social media less,” says Professor O’Dea. “We also need to understand what changes in their lives as a result.
