Australia under-16 social media ban: should UK follow?

Social media image by Gerd Altmann and Stop Sign image by 3D Illustrator and Graphic Designer both from Pixabay

Aya Pfeufer highlights how the Land Down Under is combatting the negative effects of technology on young people’s lives

Australia has implemented a social media ban for individuals under the age of 16, due to raised concerns of platforms’ negative effects on young people. This decision has been carried out in response to the possible damaging implications on young people, such as social media addiction, grooming, and peer pressure.

Social media has impacted many young people since the rise in popularity of platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok. While these platforms have numerous benefits, like keeping in touch with family and friends, socialising, and expressing oneself online, there are several downfalls as well.

Platform algorithms are specifically designed to keep users hooked for as long as possible. Features like endless scrolling, and algorithms specifically tailored towards our interests, keep us engaged and perhaps make us subconsciously stay on apps longer than anticipated; before we know it, a few hours have just passed.

This culture of constant comparison can leave you feeling unsatisfied with your own life

These algorithms are powerful, and central features such as ‘likes’ and ‘comments’ make younger generations interact with one another’s content, and this can sometimes be a form of validation. Excessive social media use can impact you in more ways than you realise, if you are feeding into content that makes you compare your life to others. This can result in a “false sense of reality”, as teens often compare themselves in this way, setting unreasonable standards of themselves; for instance, what it means to be successful and beautiful.

This culture of constant comparison can leave you feeling unsatisfied with your own life, and result in self-esteem issues. Most of what we see online is not an actual depiction of someone, and often only portrays “the best aspects of people’s lives”. It does not accurately illustrate the full picture.

Social media platforms can also increase societal pressures, as viewing the lives of others may make you think that you have not achieved enough for yourself. Peer pressure is another negative consequence of social media. Some trends on social media may encourage individuals to conform and change their behaviours. The yearning for social validation through online engagement, ‘likes’ and ‘comments’ can make users seek external validation and approval, and follow a lifestyle that does not align with their true selves, just for the sake of attracting more attention online.

One of the most severe risks is the potential for both exploitation and online grooming

Although social media has many benefits, like keeping in touch with family and friends and receiving updates on close ones, it also has numerous pitfalls. One of the most severe risks is the potential for both exploitation and online grooming. Predators can make fake profiles, to contact underage individuals like children and teenagers, groom them to gain trust, and manipulate them for the predators’ benefit.

Additionally, social media presents the rise of influencer culture, where social media personalities carry out lifestyles that can also contribute to pressure on young people, and make them want to adopt the same lifestyle.

With algorithms designed to provide content that users interact with the most on their feeds, social media platforms have the potential to spread misinformation. With a constantly developing mind, young people may be more vulnerable to false information and only follow certain narratives. Sensational content often gets the most attention; it can play on emotions, and make us want to find out more on a topic, feeding on our anxieties.

Many social media platforms are owned by large corporations and affluent individuals

While the objective of the Australian ban is on young people, the repercussions of social media extend to everyone, regardless of age. As many social media platforms are owned by large corporations and affluent individuals, they have the potential to impact public discourse. Platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter), can be used to spread political information and ideas. Unregulated practices can result in misleading information being circulated.

The Australian government’s decision to ban social media for under-16s highlights the need to address these prevalent issues in the UK and elsewhere. Exposure’s Extreme Caution campaign focused on spreading awareness of the implications that social media poses, especially towards more vulnerable groups, like young people.

The campaign also stressed the importance of changing the way in which we interact with content online, as social media has the potential to manipulate our perception and take a psychological toll. Overall, I believe Australia’s decision to ban social media for those under 16 is a forward-thinking approach to guarding young people against the threats of social media platforms.