No more social media for Australians under 16 starting in late 2025

Although social media apps can also be used as platforms for education, the sad truth is that many teens end up wasting outrageous amounts of time hooked to their smartphones or computers while using apps such as TikTok or Instagram without obtaining any benefits for their present and future. While even many parents in other countries will probably consider this ban a bit too much, Australia has decided that teens younger than 16 don't need access to social media. Remains to see the methods that will be used once the ban will be enforced at the end of next year. Until then, the next step will be taken in January 2025, when these methods will enter the testing stage.

"While there are many unanswered questions about how this law will be implemented in practice, we will engage closely with the Government and the eSafety Commissioner during the 12-month implementation period to help develop an approach that balances privacy, safety and practicality,"

said a Snap (Snapchat's owner company) representative. The list of similar services affected also includes Instagram, Threads, Facebook, TikTok, X, and others.

The recently adopted Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 is surprisingly popular with Australians. As revealed by the latest polls, an impressive 77% of the population wants it. Meanwhile, the under-14s ban that was adopted by the US state of Florida is now being challenged in court, where its detractors claim that it restricts free speech. That law has been around since late March, and it also targets teens aged 14 to 15, who need to get an approval from their parents to get a social media account.

One of the greatest threats for kids who use social media is the large number of online predators. While not allowing the young ones to access such platforms could be a solution, the strongest weapon is educating parents on this topic. Jeffrey A. Lee does so in his book entitled Online Predators, An Internet Insurgency: A Field Manual for Teaching and Parenting in the Digital Arena, which is up for sale on Amazon. Those interested must shell out $33.50 for the Kindle edition and $31.87 for the hardcover format.