Australia is pulling the plug on its teenagers’ social media habits.
The country enacted the world’s first social media ban on children under 16 this week, threatening tech giants with multimillion-dollar fines if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to kick underage users off their platforms.
Officials say the crackdown targets “design features of the site that encourage (young Australians) to spend more time on screens, while also offering content that may harm their health and wellbeing.”
It follows a government-commissioned study that found 96% of Australian children aged 10 to 15 use social media and seven in 10 have been exposed to harmful content, including posts promoting violence, misogyny, eating disorders and suicide.
“This is the day Australian families take back power from these big tech companies,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp on Wednesday. “They are affirming the right of children to be children and that of parents to have greater peace of mind.”
The world is closely watching Australia’s implementation of the ban, amid growing concerns about the effects of heavy use of social media on the health and safety of young people.
Research suggests that these concerns are well founded.
A 2019 study of Americans aged 12 to 15 found that kids who spent more than three hours a day on social media were at double the risk of negative mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety.
Another study showed that the more often adolescents turn to social media, the more likely they are to develop thoughts and behaviors related to eating disorders, particularly among girls.
Heavy use has also been linked to self-harm and suicidal behavior. One study found that 14.8% of young people admitted to psychiatric hospitals because they posed a risk to themselves or others had visited websites encouraging suicide in the two weeks before their admission.
The influence doesn’t stop there. Studies suggest that teens exposed to posts displaying risky behaviors – such as drinking, using drugs or reckless stunts – are more likely to engage in such behaviors.
Social media could also take a toll on their physical health.
A recent study found that children who received a cell phone before the age of 12 were more likely to develop obesity and poor sleeping habits than those who did not.
Meanwhile, more than 80% of children aged 11 to 17 fail to get recommended daily physical activity, in part because screens have replaced play and exercise. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to poorer health and social development.
Sleep is another casualty. In surveys, 93% of Generation Z admit to staying up past bedtime to check social media, research shows that heavy daytime users suffer three times more from sleep disturbances than their peers who spend less time online.
Taken together, these effects could harm children in the classroom.
A study published in October found that children who spent more time on social media scored lower on reading, vocabulary and memory tests – and the longer they scrolled, the worse their performance became.
Another study showed that heavy use of social media is linked to a gradual decline in attention span, making it harder for children to concentrate and learn.
The concerns became so serious that in 2024 the U.S. Surgeon General called for warning labels on social media similar to health warnings on cigarette packages.
“It’s time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant harm to adolescent mental health,” Dr. Vivek Murthy wrote in an opinion piece in the New York Times.
Here’s the good news: Disconnecting actually seems to help.
A 2023 study found that teens who reduced their social media use by just 50% saw big improvements in their self-esteem, including how they felt about their weight and appearance.
Another study showed that a week of social media detox reduced depressive symptoms by 25%, anxiety by 16% and insomnia by 15%.
The break also appeared to tame app addiction, with participants’ average screen time decreasing by about 30 minutes even after the week-long break.
The findings come as teens themselves appear to be souring on social media. Earlier this year, a survey found that nearly half of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 believe social media has a “mostly negative” impact on people their age, up from 32% in 2022.
“The excessive use of social media in our society seems to be the leading cause of depression among kids in my age group,” one teenager reported. “People seem to be swayed by the opinions of people they don’t know, and it wreaks havoc on people’s moods.”
Of course, social media isn’t all bad for teens.
When used responsibly, it has been proven to help young people find community, build friendships and connect with others who share their interests or experiences.
It also provides a platform where teens can express themselves, seek support, and see how others deal with life’s challenges.
In fact, one survey found that 74 percent of teens say social media helps them feel more connected to friends, while 63 percent say it gives them a space to show their creative side.
