Social media hasn't exactly been a net positive for kids and teens. Organisations, such as The Anxious Generation, have observed typical childhood becoming subsumed into the screen-based domain of social media, and have noted an alarming correlatory rise in instances of anxiety and depression in the younger generation.
So this news out of Australia comes as no surprise: During a recent press conference, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced plans to legislate a ban on social media for children under the age of 16 (via Reuters). A proposed age-check system would stop kids and teens from accessing not just the sort of social media aged millennials like myself frequent, such as Facebook and X, but also apps with a huge younger following, like Instagram, YouTube, and Tik Tok. The ban could come into effect as soon as next year.
