Until social media giants take responsibility for the harm they cause, I support Australia’s age ban

‘Algorithms risk harming children by getting them hooked on the dopamine of unlimited fast-paced content,’ writes Chanel Contos. Photograph: miljko/Getty Images

I support the Albanese government’s proposal to impose an age ban on social media overall, and surprisingly, so do many young people. A survey of 14- to 29-year-olds found that 42% of those surveyed were positive about the idea, with 25% neutral. But as a standalone action, a ban will not be the intended elixir for the real issue at hand.

The reality is there have always been various age restrictions on platforms, and since I signed up for Facebook at age 11, they’ve been a breeze to get around. I have doubts this will change as laws will never be able to keep up with the agility of digital natives. I also have concerns that without adequate education of why a ban is being imposed, and without alternatives for teens to socialise online, this may drive children to deeper parts of the web that are decentralised, and growing.