The Australian government has proposed a ban on social media for all citizens under 16. Citing the success of recently introduced restrictions on mobile phones in Australian schools, the prime minister announced the ban by declaring that it’s “doing harm to our kids and I’m calling time on it”.
Yes, the American Psychological Association has found that teens with the highest social media use rate their overall mental health as poor or very poor. Yes, research from the University of Cambridge shows that social media does not mitigate adolescent feelings of loneliness or isolation overall – rather, reports suggest online exposure can increase the prevalence of suicidal thoughts in the young. We’ve known for years social media use is related to poor body image and negative self-esteem, and encourages addictive behaviours. Locally, we’re confronting toxic online influencer culture mobilising kids to harass and abuse their teachers. Cyberbullying, cyberstalking, catfishing, dog piling, trolling, deepfake porn and doxing exist as concepts because social media culture has spawned them.
