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There will be a ban on social media for under 16s in Australia starting on 10 December

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Social media companies have no real incentive to follow through with supporting the ban. Rather, they are incentivized to fail in implementing any viable methods to ensure the ban is effective.

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Better Digital Education and awareness for students, teachers and parents. Better system to block and prevent.

Stronger parental controls and privacy settings. Age-appropriate filters and monitoring tools.

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To prevent young people from exposing their personal data too early, especially at this age, who may be less aware of privacy risks.

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To prevent young people from exposing their personal data too early, especially at this age, who may be less aware of privacy risks.

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I support it because of children's safety. There's too many cyberbullying nowadays especially with AI. We didn't have all this when I was younger obviously and I would imagine it would encourage kids to be kids - playing around, going outside and touching grass or something lol

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I think it will have a positive impact on productivity in their studies and the management of information they are exposed to

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Students used to have pen pals, social media is a way they can keep in touch with friends worldwide

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Students used to have pen pals, social media is a way they can keep in touch with friends worldwide

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However a part of me thinks that the students will miss out on connectivity and learning helpful information for both studies and personal reasons

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I agree with the ban but do not think it will be very effective. I think its important to set a precedent though that children under 16 are explicitly not allowed on social media websites

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Digital literacy as a general capabiliy embedded in different subjects is not good enough. More focus on this is needed.

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With the ban of social media for those under 16 years old, I think that the exposure to content that is not age-appropriate will be greatly reduced, reduced exposure to content that does not deter their own ways of living and thinking, maintain their innocence of their youth and let them learn with their age instead of being influenced by social media.

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With the ban of social media for those under 16 years old, I think that the exposure to content that is not age-appropriate will be greatly reduced, reduced exposure to content that does not deter their own ways of living and thinking, maintain their innocence of their youth and let them learn with their age instead of being influenced by social media.

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I'm heavily against this ban as it will send the youth exploring less regulated avenues to continue their current way of life. This exposes them to more predators who can more effectively carry out their nefarious ways while making it easier for them to get away with it. this law penalises the less tech savvy a lot of whom would have defended the youth before but now will not have the opportunity as they will not explore the same underground pathways due to no need.

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Will ensure their digital tattoo is as sweaky clean as possible LOL

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👆🏻🥸 I think too much emphasis were placed on the negatives or the downside on social media and we neglect the role it plays in building relationships and fostering all the good things such as communications, collaboration, (or just pure entertainment...)

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I don't think it will work because it breaches young people's right of being socially connected with others.

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I believe it is a cyber world students should be exposed to the internet thing earlier , better prepare and advance their skills to use it,better sooner than latter.

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Teenagers always find ways to get around restrictions. Australia is not the first country to introduce this kind of policy.

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People have been banning things for centuries - not so long ago, parents were horrified by calculator use... We need to educate. Social media is here. Educate society (not just our children) on how communication, connection and belonging are key to coexisting.

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Not all children can go to school in person (many reasons). Social media is a way for children to stay in contact with peers, even when they can not see each other. The ban will also prevent information from being excluded freely.

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We need to equip young people with the critical skills to understand how algorithms position them. If they understand how to monitor data shared online and game the automated curation systems used by social media platforms, they can participate actively, with knowledge and understanding of how they can be manipulated - and how they can manipulate sytems.

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I am a firm believer in free speech and access even if what is being said is nonsensical or has potential problems. It is up to the parents to guide their children.

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Being on social media early can put young children at risk of being exposed to inappropriate materials, also there is the risk of being groomed by someone older or an adult. I feel like at 16 they are more aware of the risks of social media. And at 16 they are better equipped to make their own choices and what spaces they engage in. Furthermore, it decreases the likelihood of cyber bullying at a young age

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I think it is a great idea as children of that age do not need to be exposed to social media, especially with the impact it has on mental health. Although I think with a ban in place children will find a way to access it. I am interested to see what strategies there are to ban these apps.

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It is a boundary for communication between teens and children as that is the main way of communicating in modern times. It’s also a disadvantage for youths as most of the news around current events is delivered quickly and efficiently through social media.

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I think it could be a positive thing if done correctly as it will allow children the opportunity to develop emotionally and mentally before being given access to potentially expose themselves to certain content online. It will also help develop face to face social skills which have been recorded to be declining since the introduction of social media.

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Children under 16 do not have the cognitive or social maturity to screen out the negative yet attractive/indulging content on social media.

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It can help stop young people from entering political extremism at a young and impressionable age, and when they are old enough they can make their own decisions

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I feel like anyone should use social media but in a way that they are aware of what kind of space they are in, they should know how algorithms work in order to be aware of echo chambers n politics. And they should know the red flags in spaces where they shouldn’t be or people they shouldn’t talk to (like online predators, scammers, etc.)

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It’s difficult to find a method to verify everyone’s age effectively. Not to mention, the children will always find a way to circumvent this restriction if they really want to get in to the social media sites.

Instead, more focus on e-safety education in schools and at home should be included. Help the children to learn how to protect themselves and to have open discussion about the topic with teachers and parents.

Since banning won’t work, teach them how to be safe.

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The ban can shield under 16's from harmful material that their minds can't process. Cyberbullying is another big issue and preventing them can save many young people from mental health issues and long-lasting trauma. Many online predators use social media to target young people and that can greatly reduce sexual exploitation . 

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The ban can shield under 16's from harmful material that their minds can't process. Cyberbullying is another big issue and preventing them can save many young people from mental health issues and long-lasting trauma. Many online predators use social media to target young people and that can greatly reduce sexual exploitation . 

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I don't have any suggestions other than encouraging families to slow down giving technology and phones to children / teenagers. My 15 year old daughter is addicted to her phone which has a huge impact on her mental health. I support the ban but know most teenagers will get around it (are hackers). It will be interesting to watch this space. We will not be giving our 10 year old son a phone until much later and monitored closely.