Government eyes social media ban for young people

THE Victorian Government has this month signalled its intention to work with its federal counterpart to introduce a minimum age limit for children to use social media platforms, but experts have warned there may be drawbacks to following that approach.

An age limit is yet to be announced, but children aged up to 16 could be impacted by the ban, which would prevent them from using platforms like Facebook and Instagram as soon as the end of this year.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the safety and mental and physical health of the nation’s young people was paramount, and the restrictions would help encourage children to enjoy more “real experiences”.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan took to social media earlier this month to announce her support for enforcing age limits on social media platforms.

“One of the biggest things I hear from parents is that they’re worried about their kids on social media, and as a mum myself, so am I,” she said.

“Social media can be a great thing…but it’s just not a place for kids before they’re ready.

“It harms their development, and it hurts their focus, and it’s not just parents telling me that – it’s kids and young people too.

“This won’t solve everything, but it’s the right place to start.”

Innovation head of Deakin University’s Cyber Research and Innovation Centre Associate Professor William Yeoh said while restricting young people’s use of social media might provide a quick fix and yield short-term benefits, it was “not a silver bullet”.

He compared the proposed social media restrictions to the online gaming bans China has enforced for users under the age of 18.

“China’s approach…highlights several benefits that could translate to social media restrictions,” Associate Professor Yeoh said.

“China’s restrictions on online gaming have shown that limiting access can have immediate benefits in reducing overuse and addiction, which could similarly apply to social media.

“However, as seen in China, children can find ways to bypass restrictions, such as using adult accounts.

“The same might happen with social media, where tech-savvy children could easily find workarounds.”