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Parents around the world know this dilemma. Social media networks are central to teenagers’ lives, where they play with friends, develop relationships, share what they’re doing, and find out more about current events. Masu. However, research suggests a link between social media apps and anxiety, depression, and sleep and eating disorders in young people. These can be a source of harmful body image material, misogynistic content, or bullying forums. Is the answer to ban its use by vulnerable people?
The Australian government thinks so. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is pushing ahead with what he calls the world’s first ban on under-16s having accounts on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and Snapchat. Tech companies must take reasonable steps to prevent underage children from using their services, and “systematic” infringements face fines of up to A$50 million (approximately $32.5 million). However, children and parents are not punished. Albanese said the ban is intended to protect mental health and likened it to curbing underage drinking, even if some teens avoid it. He said it was worth doing.
More than a dozen other countries, including Austria, Germany, Italy, and South Korea, are moving toward minimum age limits for social media (often 15 years old), with varying degrees of enforcement. Norway will raise its existing standard from 13 to 15. The UK government is reportedly considering supporting a private member’s bill on the issue. About 10 US states have passed laws restricting children’s access to social platforms, but some are being challenged in court.
One question is whether Australia’s ban is viable. Age verification is already proving difficult in some countries. An age assurance trial is underway in Australia to determine how the ban will be enforced, but users will not be required to hand over their identity data directly to the platform. Mehta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, suggested that Apple and Google, which control smartphone app stores, should play a bigger role in age verification across apps.
The second question is whether a ban is desirable. Social networks have a lot of harm, but they also have benefits. Researchers say it has the potential to stimulate creativity and learning in young people. For some marginalized communities, they can be an important means of interaction. While online media are more sophisticated and their effects potentially more insidious, the approach to risk with older media forms is to protect children from inappropriate content rather than outright bans. did.
The most beneficial role of age-related bans, or the threat of them, is to encourage tech companies to create truly safe teen versions of their apps with tighter controls and without addictive features. It might be something to do. Instagram recently introduced “Teen Accounts” touting increased protections for 13- to 15-year-olds, but some parents and activists suggest this isn’t enough. The Australian government said services designed to be safe for children would be exempt from the ban if they were effective. The bill also excludes online gaming and messaging services, as well as YouTube after lobbying by teachers and children’s music groups.
Making your app secure is not easy. Roblox, a gaming platform that has explicitly catered to younger players by using AI to protect conversations, announced new controls for under-13s last week following criticism over allegations of child abuse on the platform. had to be introduced. But technology companies have vast financial and technical resources to come up with solutions, and moves in Australia and elsewhere suggest the pressure on them will only increase.
