It’s the final fortnight of the school summer holidays in Sydney, Australia, and a group of Year 8 boys are telling me about the impact the social media ban for under-16s has had on their lives.
Six weeks have passed since the country’s prime minister Anthony Albanese implemented the first-of-its-kind ban to keep children safe and protect their mental wellbeing. “Make the most of the school holidays coming up, rather than spending it scrolling on your phone… Start a new sport, learn a new instrument or read that book,” he told young Australians on the eve of the new rules coming into force on 10 December.
