Social media ban means teenagers are getting less news

In the months leading up to Australia’s social media ban being implemented in December 2025, there has been much debate about its possible negative consequences.

These included concerns that young people would consume less news. Like most young adults Social media is used for news and most people rely on it; This was a real risk.

So months have passed, has this happened? ours newly published researchWe found that the more young people affected by the ban, the more likely they were to report receiving less news and fewer opportunities to discuss news and issues that matter to them.