‘A bit messy’: jury still out on child social media ban

There are signs of little decline in cyberbullying or image-based abuse in the six months since young people under 16 were banned from social media.

But experts say even if there is no clear decline in reports of online harm, the early results are hardly encouraging as the country has been at the forefront of efforts to restrict access to social media by children under 16.

The world-first ban, which requires users to be 16 or older to create or maintain a social media account, made international headlines in December.

A hotline operator said call patterns have remained largely unchanged since the ban came into force.

The non-profit Your Town operates the Child Helpline, and Tony FitzGerald, director of virtual services, told AAP it was too early to measure any real difference.

“When we talked to young people, particularly those in the 13-16 age group, the experience was very inconsistent,” he said.

“Some had their social media cut off, and some had no impact in terms of their access to those platforms.

“Things have been a bit complicated for this group.”

Despite this, young people are turning to other platforms such as WhatsApp, which are not subject to social media bans, to interact.

“We have seen young people coming to us saying they are being cyberbullied on messaging apps,” Mr FitzGerald said.

“There are plenty of other platforms that are not subject to social media minimum age restrictions where young people are still engaging and still being harmed.”

According to eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant’s latest report in March, there has been no noticeable decline in reports of online harm, such as cyberbullying and image-based harassment, by under-16s.

Still, Bianca Quetti, the mother of teenage children, supports the ban.

“My kids were already 16 when they arrived… I don’t know what other parents think, but I imagine most of them would like it,” she said.

“So, there’s probably a way, I’m sure they all have a way.

“I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”

Her 16-year-old daughter Taylah narrowly escaped the ban and said there was a lot on the internet that she thought young people should not see.

However, he said nothing much has changed on the social media accounts of those who should be affected by the ban at his school.

“I don’t know if it really works that well… most of their accounts haven’t been banned, so they’re still allowed in there,” he told AAP.

Ellie Johnston, who has a teenage granddaughter, was skeptical of the ban.

“We just want our kids to be safe, right? They’re not safe online because of predators.”

“They’re wasting money on something that won’t work.”

He said parents have an important responsibility.

“Parents are always on their phones… If you want to be a role model, put your phone away neatly. Because it’s monkey see, monkey do.”

Advocates are calling for teens to receive more education on how to navigate online so they are better prepared and less exposed to harm when they turn 16.

Mr FitzGerald believes there needs to be a multi-faceted approach that includes taking responsibility for technology companies and stronger regulation of their activities in this area.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said one of the main reasons for the social media ban was the harm it was causing to young people’s health.

“Today marks six months since the social media ban came into force… and it’s had a detrimental impact on their mental health and a range of issues,” he told ABC Radio Melbourne on Wednesday.

Lifeline 13 11 14

Child Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)