Australia's Parliament Will Consider Social Media Ban for Kids Under 16
The Facts
Australia's ruling Labor Party government has proposed legislation in Parliament to ban social media for children under 16, with no parental consent or account exemptions and fines of up to A$49.5M (US$32.2M) for tech platforms that violate the rule.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, X, Reddit, and Instagram would be included in the ban, stating that the goal of the law is for social media not to be a "defining feature of growing up in Australia."
The Spin
Narrative A
The digital childhood experiment has been tried and failed, so now we need governments to take action. The current generation of young adults are looking back on their childhoods and realizing that social media had little positive impact and a great deal of destructive consequences. The superficial content they're consuming leads to abuse and even health issues. Enacting this ban is crucial.
Narrative B
Like many things, social media has negative effects and immense benefits. These apps allow children of all backgrounds to educate themselves and make friends. Instead of taking them away, the government should force tech companies to implement child safeguards — making the internet a safe place to learn while blocking out the harmful parts.
