Expert breaks down potential risks and benefits of the Australian teen social media ban
Australian teenagers are bracing for big changes to the way they communicate online, with Meta restricting access to Instagram, Facebook and Threads for users under 16.
Teens race to save years of photos, messages and memories until the deadline.
The nationwide shift marks a world-first experiment in regulating young people’s access to mainstream social platforms, and its social and emotional impacts could be significant, experts say.
Mark Johnson, a senior lecturer in digital cultures at the University of Sydney, told NewsWire that researchers are watching closely.
“Given how central these platforms have become in young people’s lives, there will definitely be some emotional impact,” Dr Johnson said.
He said the platform’s designers used “psychological and design tricks” that left many young people addicted to features designed to keep them busy.
But because all young people will lose access at the same time, Dr Johnson said it was difficult to predict the wider social impact.
“Current information allows us to predict some aspects of what will happen here, but the novelty of this means there are a lot of things we won’t know until it happens,” he said.
“There is certainly potential for both positive and negative impact here…Anything that can encourage young people to have a deeper rather than a shallower interaction with the world can only be positive.
“At the same time, when so much of a young person’s self is now connected to these sites, there is certainly a risk of them feeling a real loss of connection and place.”
He warned that young people may turn to less regulated platforms when looking for alternatives. Still, he said the big platforms remain far from ideal.
“While these may be the most regulated, that doesn’t mean they are adequately regulated,” Dr Johnson said.
“Extremist and adult content is actually on the rise, even on the main popular platforms.”
Dr Johnson said removing access was unlikely to harm digital literacy in the long term.
Rather, he said it could have a “very small positive impact,” noting that highly polished apps require little technical skill.
“Many people struggle to distinguish fact from fiction online and are easily caught by fake news and disinformation,” he said.
“Many people struggle with basic understanding of digital skills, such as understanding the difference between a website or app.”
For now, young people are having to weigh their digital memories against new rules, and parents, schools and legislators are being forced to rethink what true digital security looks like.
As teens prepare for the transition, many are backing up their photos, reels, chats, and account histories.
The following guide explains how to export Meta data including posts, media, logins and personal details.
Saving Metadata
