by Zach Geller ‘25

From Instagram to TikTok, social media is one of the most important ways teens stay connected. However this new modern necessity will soon be banned in Australia for all kids under a certain age. In late November the Australian senate passed “The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024,” a piece of legislation prohibiting those under the age of 16 from using social media. This policy came as a result of News Corp’s Let Them Be Kids campaign, calling for social media restrictions because of the advice of health, wellbeing, tech and psychology experts. This piece of legislation passed with almost a two thirds majority, 34 votes for and 19 votes against. The bill doesn’t acknowledge how it will be enforced other than fines towards social media sites, nor does it specify which social media platforms it will apply to.

The ban is anticipated to go into effect sometime in 2025 and already has become controversial. In an article by news.com.au, some interviewees cited that social media harms more than helps while others disagreed: “Critics also argued the ban would not effectively assist children and teenagers’ mental health, instead isolating them.” Should this world’s-first policy be enacted, it could radically change future policies adopted all over the world concerning how governments can play roles in controlling the internet.