There is no hotter subject right now than the conversation surrounding the impact of social media on young people.
I’d rather give my kids Jack Daniels and weed than Instagram.
Scott Galloway, NYU Professor of Marketing
In Australia, this past week has seen both the SA and NSW state governments making moves to ban young people from having accounts on social media platforms. These bans would include commonly used platforms like Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok.
Adding heat to the conversation is The Anxious Generation, a new book by US social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. The book has garnered a lot of attention over his assertions that the loss of a play-based childhood and its replacement with a phone-based childhood has damaged the development of our kids. He has been on a major media blitz, with interviews on every podcast, radio show, and TV program imaginable talking about the damage social media can cause.
Everyone has been receptive to talking to him about the book, as it comes at a time when many of us are rethinking our relationship with these social platforms.
As highlighted by Haidt, social media platforms were supercharged as we embraced going mobile with our internet consumption in the early 2000s. Studies show increased depression, anxiety, loneliness, and less social cohesion since we all started carrying around our pocket computers.
The concern is that social media may be as damaging for our mental health as smoking was on our bodies.
What South Australia is considering
Nothing has been formally proposed just yet, so there isn’t legislation currently being considered. But South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has appointed former High Court chief justice Robert French to examine “the legal, regulatory and technological pathways” for the government to impose a ban on social media users under the age of 14.
Children aged 14 and 15 would require parental consent to access social media.
Right now, this is an exploratory investigation into whether it is even possible. There are a number of not-insignificant hurdles that needs to be overcome. The two biggest considerations:
- Would such a ban be legal?
- Would the ban be practical? Are kids likely to just bypass any blocks put in place? Facebook currently limits users to 13 years and older, but it’s very easy just to set your age as 13 years-old when you sign-up.
Premier Malinauskas knows that there are limited actions that can be taken at a state level, but that shouldn’t stop the SA government from taking action: “Our kids are being harmed now, and there’s no time to waste. I don’t want to sit around waiting for someone else. Let’s lead.”
“If indeed the advice comes back to Mr French that this is very difficult for state governments to regulate, then I think it will leave an open field for the federal parliament to act,” Malinauskas said.
NSW takes a social media ban one step forward
In a radio interview today on 2GB, NSW Premier Chris Minns backed the push to ban kids on social media, but suggested an age limit of 16 and above.
“The truth is everybody’s had enough and we’re seeing the long-term effects of at best just wasting hours and hours on devices and at worst doing serious psychological damage,” Minns said.
Recognising the limitations on individual states to implement bans, the Minns government has called for a snap summit to drive attention to the issue at a national level.
The summit is scheduled for October 2024 and will bring together senior officials, policy makers, academics, along with representatives from other jurisdictions, leading social media platforms, and digital technologies.
The purpose of the summit will be to examine the latest evidence and respond to growing community sentiment about the detrimental mental health impact on people (especially on kids) of social media.
“I’m convinced we need more conversations and solutions for parents, schools and communities about how to manage this,” Minns said.
“This summit will bring together experts and parents alike to talk about what more we can do to protect the wellbeing of our children.”
South Australia is leading Australia, but this is a global push
In the US, this year has seen considerable movement from states to ban social media use by kids. New York City Mayor Eric Adams declared social media a public health hazard.
“Companies like TikTok, YouTube and Facebook are fuelling a mental health crisis by designing their platforms with addictive and dangerous features,” Adams said. “We cannot stand by and let Big Tech monetise our children’s privacy and jeopardise their mental health.”
Similarly in Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill in March that bans social media accounts for children under 14, with parental permission required for 14 and 15-year-olds.
UK media regulator Ofcom is proposing regulations that could ban anyone under the age of 18 accessing social media if companies don’t comply with new online safety rules. Ofcom has outlined what it believes are 40 practical measures that can be taken in its recently published draft codes of practice. They require social media companies to use more robust age-checking measures, and change their algorithms to stop children seeing toxic material.
Talking to your kids about this
Your kids are likely going to be very interested in this story. If you’re looking for a really digestible way to share what this is all about, share with them this from ABC’s kids news show Behind The News. It’s a good conversation starter.
