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TikTok, Instagram, Twitch and Steam are some of the platforms to be banned for young people in Australia by the Albanese government.
The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, announced in mid-September that social media will be banned for minors. There will be an age verification trial conducted, as the first steps later in the year.
This doesn’t come as a shock to the Australian youth, as there has been a ban on the use of smartphones in public schools since October 2023. However, the new proposal is clearly far more restrictive, as it extends past the borders of school and into all aspects of young peoples lives.
Why is Australia introducing a ban on social media for minors?
Unrestricted use of social media is always a risk for young users. Concerns such as cyber bullying, grooming, and body dysmorphia are synonymously linked with use of the internet. Researchers at Yale Medicine have speculated that social media can overstimulate the brains reward centre and inevitably can lead to addiction, also.
Prime minister Albanese has stated that parents are ‘worried sick’ about their children and teens using social media. ‘Parents want their kids off their phones and on the footy field. So do I.’
Politically speaking, it is a popular move than you’d perhaps expect.
In line with a YouGov survey, 61% of Australians polled supported access to social media for young people under the age of 17.
In a move gaining traction across the nation and sparking political divide, opposition leader Peter Dutton and the Liberal Party have formally backed a sweeping social media ban for anyone under 16.
But while politicians rally behind the proposal, critics warn it could drive teens into even riskier online behavior—leaving their voices eerily absent from the entire debate.
Should the Australian government stop clinging to idealistic visions of their youth and confront the harsh realities of young people’s lives today?
Is this decision truly a democratic decision if the people most affected – young people – have no say at all?
The Australian Guardian spoke to several young people to shed some light on their opinions. Genevieve from Melbourne stated: ‘This seems great but I think [social media] is a really good place to chat with friends, be creative and keep up with trends. And I think it would be bad in terms of social life.’
This sums up the mixed feelings that young people in Australia have.
What does this mean for young people in the UK and US?
Many young people fear that Australia’s hardline stance on under-16 social media use could trigger a tidal wave of influence across the Western world.
Though historically overshadowed by Britain’s influence—rooted in colonial punishments and Commonwealth ties—Australia may now be poised to lead the charge in reshaping the digital landscape.
Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat have exploded in both popularity and financial power over the last decade, with Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg boasting a staggering $193.5 billion USD net worth in 2024 alone.
But could the social media empire crumble if the ‘special relationship’ between the UK and US follows Australia’s lead in locking young people out of their platforms?
It would truly affect most young people in the UK, with a survey carried out in October 2021 showing that 91% of young people in Britain have used social media at some point.
