‘Give children back their childhoods’

Australia has implemented a landmark move this week to restrict social media access for children under 16, with clinical psychologist Tamara Kezelman describing the legislation as “less a ban than a delay – giving kids more time to develop their identity, relationships and capacity to manage complexity before jumping into the world of social media”.

The restrictions will prevent Australian children from creating or keeping accounts on popular platforms, including Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube and Facebook.

Kezelman said she feels “hopeful” about the potential impact of the restrictions.

“We’ve become used to young people spending huge amounts of time on social media, being exposed to harmful content and its negative effects, without a clear way forward,” she said.

“This legislation is a needed disruptor that can help reset the norm towards more real-world experiences and less harmful online exposure. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s a meaningful shift.”

While experts have been divided over the issue, some saying the ban could have negative effects, Kezelman acknowledged the transition for 13-16 year-olds may be difficult initially.

“Great resources are available through the eSafety Commissioner to support these young people and their parents,” she said.

“Overall however, this change has real potential to free young people from the constant pull of social media and support healthier, more age-appropriate development. To make it truly effective, though, we need to help them build real world experiences, offline interests and in-person relationships.”

Many parents have been waiting for this move, with Kezelman adding that the law now validates their concerns and “will give them the confidence to set and hold boundaries”.

Earlier this year, Melbourne’s King David School introduced a new wellbeing program where each family could commit to reducing social media and technology use in the lives of their children.

Doctor and wellness expert Dr Elise Bialylew said it is the responsibility of parents “to put those guardrails to protect them, and allow the brain to find its balance again and to break the cycle of dependence that all these kids have”.

Amy Friedlander, cofounder of Wait Mate, is supportive of the new legislation as it provides parents with the backing needed to say “sorry honey, it’s against the law”.

Wait Mate, the brain-child of Sydney’s Emanuel School parent Jessica Mendoza-Roth, is a parent-driven initiative aimed at delaying smartphones for children.

“We are extremely grateful to the Australian government for taking a leadership position globally to make a clear statement that social media apps are unsafe for children under 16 years of age,” Friedlander said.

“We are heartened that so many future generations will have longer to be kids, free from the digital pressures of social media until they are old enough to deal with them more effectively.”

But Friedlander said a “whole-society approach” is needed to turn things around.

“This includes parents, schools, community leaders and governments all working together to give children back their childhoods,” she said.

“Yes, people will get around the rules, just like teens throughout the ages have used fake ID to get into bars and drink alcohol underage – just because this happens doesn’t mean the rules should not be in place or that a bouncer shouldn’t be at the door.”

Communications Minister Anika Wells has said the ban will protect children from exposure to pressures and risks associated with social media accounts, insisting any “short-term discomfort will be worth the long-term benefits”.

There are no penalties for children, parents or carers, but platforms themselves could face penalties up to $49.5 million if they fail to implement the required changes.