UniSC experts comment on Australia's social media ban for under 16s, with the law set to come into force in a year's time.
Dr Angela Hinz
UniSC Lecturer in Psychology, Researcher in Body Image, Social Media, and Women’s Health
“The government’s social media ban is a reinforcement of the importance of dealing with the known harms of social media when it comes to adolescents’ mental health, sense of identity, and body image.
“This ban provides a welcome ‘window of opportunity’ – a chance to apply what we’ve learned through the substantial amount of research in this field, and the valuable resources that have already been developed.
“These resources can be used to help parents and young people cultivate the skills needed to navigate social media effectively and positively when the time comes. It would be incredible to see young people entering the world of social media equipped with skills of self-awareness, compassion for themselves and others, and the ability to critically consider the content they’re consuming.
“In addition, this ban sends a powerful message to social media platforms, asking them to take greater responsibility and improve their practices to ensure the wellbeing of young people, not just in Australia but all over the world.”
Associate Professor Michael Nagel
UniSC Primary and Early Childhood Education expert
“I welcome the idea of a social media ban in theory, but I don’t think it’s practical and it’s too difficult to govern or police.
“It will probably push some social media activity underground because teens have a unique way of getting around things.
“The resources needed to enforce this ban could be better used to educate parents on the negative impacts of social media use and how they can police it better in the home.
“There is a fairly robust degree of literature that shows us screen devices are having a negative impact on the neurophysiology of the developing brain early in life.
“In terms of social media, there’s a growing amount of evidence that shows us, by and large, that being on social media displaces young people from engaging in the types of activities they need to engage in for social and emotional development.
“Social media allows them to be alone together living in a virtual world, but that does not afford them the benefits of being together in the same space in the real world.
Dr Rachael Sharman
UniSC Senior Lecturer, Psychology
“The social media ban is an important first step in ensuring children return to a healthy developmental environment for their physical, psychosocial and emotional development. All of which are foundations to building good interpersonal relationships, self-regulation and advanced cognitive skills such as critical thinking and theory of mind (understanding the mindsets, intentions and agendas of other people).
“The logistics of the ban remain under question, and I look forward to seeing how this will be managed. However, if successful, this will give parents and families the opportunity to reclaim childhood, and ensure the building blocks of the brain are set in place before exposure to what has proved to be a most pernicious influence.
“I suspect the rest of the world is taking such an extraordinary interest in this Australian initiative, to see when and how they can best follow suit for improved wellbeing of their future generations.”
Dr Karen Sutherland
UniSC Senior Lecturer, Public Relations
“While the government can be commended for attempting to protect Australia’s young people with its social media ban for under 16s, the reality of how it would actually work is unclear.
“There are literally thousands of social media platforms, and the government will not be able to police all of them. It also seems that this decision has been made without careful review of the 15000 submissions made from the public regarding this legislation.
“Banning technology on its own is not the answer and may also have negative consequences.
“Research from the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Thompson Institute suggests that in a cyberbullying situation, cutting off access to technology can have negative impacts because it also isolates the victim from their support network.
“This problem is much more complex than a ban can fix. There needs to be greater education for children, parents, and the wider community regarding the critical, safe, and responsible use of technology including social media.”
Dr Catherine Houlihan
UniSC Senior Lecturer, Clinical Psychology, expert in body image and eating disorders
Clinical psychologist, expert in body image and eating disorders, University of the Sunshine Coast
“I was pleased to hear of the social media ban for under 16s in Australia. Given the established research on social media’s negative effects on mental health and body image, and because our early teenage years are a crucial time for identity and brain development, banning social media for this age group and under is an important step towards protecting young people’s mental health.
“It is vital that research continues in this area, so that we can properly evaluate the potential benefits of this change in the hope that other countries will follow.”
Media enquiries: Please contact the Media Team media@usc.edu.au