Youth workers are dreading the teen social media ban

Cody first heard about Australia’s social media ban on teenagers from a client earlier this year.

“I was pretty shocked because I thought the news would come from a government agency,” he said.

The youth worker, who works predominantly with queer and neurodiverse people, now hears clients talk about the ban almost every day.

“Many neurodivergent youth are disengaging from traditional schooling – either homeschooling or working with me to get back to school – and often turning to the internet to engage socially.