Australia's social media ban: Negative impact of the internet on teenagers

Debate over the internet use for children grows as Australia bans social media for teenagers under 16, sensing its negative impact. Here's how it is affecting them

Australia has become the first country to ban social media for under 16s in the country, passing the landmark ruling on Thursday. It is the world's toughest crackdown on popular sites such as Facebook, Instagram and X. 

 

The reason behind the ban is to prevent young teens from having accounts. The Australian government has passed the bill in both parliamentary chambers with bipartisan support.

 

The bill has now become law. The bill first passed parliament's lower chamber on Wednesday and passed the Senate late on Thursday evening. 

 

Technology is playing a major role in shaping our children's minds. Social media is one such tool that is found to have a negative impact on teenagers, with many countries recognising the need to put some forms of restrictions in place for its access to children. 

 

 

Although most of the social media applications require users to be at least 13 years old to use their app, the US Surgeon General report says that nearly 40 per cent of children between 8 and 12, and 95 per cent of children from ages 13 to 17 use social media. 

 

How’s the excessive use of social media affecting children across the world? Let’s find out.

Impact of social media on teenagers

Sleep disturbances

A serious but underrated problem of social media is sleep disturbance. The blue light emitted by the screen disrupts melatonin production making it very hard for children to fall asleep and negatively impacting the quality of sleep, especially in teenagers. This leads to chronic sleep deprivation and daytime drowsiness. The lack of proper sleep makes emotional regulation difficult and increases stress.

Attention problems

The other negative impact of social media on teenagers is low attention problems. Social media impairs a child's ability to focus on tasks for extended periods. The habit of rapidly shifting attention between different digital stimuli reduces concentration on schoolwork and other non-digital activities. 

Impaired social skills

The excessive use of social media disturbs children's social life and hinders the development of essential social skills. Some important aspects of life include face-to-face interactions like reading body language and facial expressions which is vital for empathy and understanding social cues. Such a gap in social skills affects their ability to build meaningful relationships and navigate real-life social situations effectively.

Decreased academic performance

The excessive use of social media can make children less responsible. The time spent on social media affects their study time and homework which leads to a decline in academic performance. The multitasking habits developed from a frequent digital platform hurt their ability to complete assignments effectively.

Increased aggression

The negative impact of social media on teenagers' social lives also includes aggression. Teenagers nowadays are exposed to violent and provocative content thanks to social media and video names. These things are manifesting aggressive behaviour both online and offline. Further, frustration from digital interactions increases the cases of cyberbullying or online arguments and exacerbates feelings of isolation and self-doubt.

Will other countries also ban social media for teenagers?

Australia's action is a major step in the direction to prevent children from excessive use of social media. Global experts are currently closely monitoring this experiment to understand if similar actions could be adopted in other parts of the world. 

 

This decision shows Australia's commitment to tackle the challenges of the digital age to prioritise the safety and mental health of its youngest citizens.