Will a social media ban for under-16s make any difference? We must ask young people themselves

Since Australia’s social media ban for under 16s, 4.7 million accounts have been deactivated, removed or restricted. But it seems Australian teenagers haven’t really been affected at all.

Many created new accounts with no measures of verification needed, some accounts simply weren’t flagged and if met with verification, it is thought to be inaccurate and deceitful. There is a mix of reactions and overall views of the ban with teenagers across Australia. Some believe there isn’t much change or protection at all, but some are creating new ways of making connections and staying in the loop.

Over 235,000 people in the UK have called for there to be a similar ban for social media. With Spain being the first country in Europe to enforce a social media ban and the government consulting on a ban it seems like this could happen here too. But is anyone asking if this is this what teenagers want?

Social media can be a lifeline for many teenagers, providing connection, belonging and exploration. I feel it is naïve to think teenagers who have been on social media for years are suddenly going to go cold turkey because of a ban with little to no enforcement.

Read more:

• “Banning social media for under-16s is not the answer”
• How social media has changed our world
• ‘They put my life in danger’: The crisis in children’s mental health services

Aside from the fact many are still finding ways to access social media in Australia, Girlguiding’s recent research shows only 15% of boys and girls aged 10-16 believe a social media ban would help them feel safer online. If this majority believe a ban isn’t going to help us feel safer online, then why are we considering such a restrictive measure that is only going to delay the issue that is regulating social media companies and their content?

As social media has grown it has become harder to restrict and protect young people from seeing violent and dangerous content, research found children as young as 10 are seeing violence on their screens (39%) and that 72% of children aged 10-16 believe they cannot control the content on their screens. We should be able to control what we see on social media. This kind of content is distressing for so many young users.

I could see why it may seem better to remove under 16s entirely from online platforms but removing them isn’t changing the dangerous atmosphere or removing disturbing content, it places a safety net. It’s like when you take Soother – it doesn’t heal your sore throat, it just makes you feel better temporarily, and a ban would feel like a safety net for those creating dangerous content.

I don’t think a blanket ban is what we want or need to help us feel safe online. We need action on monitoring and protection of content being uploaded online and we need proper legislation to prevent social media from being a lawless space.

Social media was created to be a place where you express yourself freely and connect with like-minded individuals. Now it is a place of fear, violence and discrimination.

Ellen, age 17, is one of Girlguiding‘s Advocate panel members, where she acts as a spokesperson for girls, including Girlguiding’s 300,000 young members

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

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