A war has erupted around young people’s use social media and it is messy. In the United States, surgeon general Vivek Murthy has recommended cigarette packet-like warnings for platforms like Instagram to remind teens and parents social media “has not proved safe”.
In Australia, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says he would ban social media for those under 16 within 100 days, if the Coalition wins the next election. Announcing the policy, Dutton argued social media is to blame for “a high prevalence of many health conditions, issues around body image [and] bullying online”.
