University of Sydney experts have weighed in on the implications of this historic policy shift affecting Australian children and teenagers.
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Global first in social media regulation and tech policy
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The social media age ban represents a significant challenge to Big Tech's dominance and could spark similar youth protection measures internationally, with the move positioning Australia as a pioneer in confronting the power of major technology companies through government regulation.
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Professor Terry Flew , Co-Director of the Centre for AI, Trust and Governance , emphasised that this Australian social media law could trigger a domino effect globally:
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"The introduction of the social media minimum age framework is a pathbreaking measure by the Australian Federal Government. While Australia is the first to adopt such restrictions, it is unlikely to be the last. Many governments around the world are watching how the power of Big Tech was successfully taken on and are considering their own measures to address the adverse consequences of platform power."
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And the regulatory impact is already being felt, even before the December implementation. Dr Timothy Koskie , Post-Doctoral Research Associate in Digital Communication, argued that the mere threat of social media regulation has proven effective.
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"Australia's social media ban is already driving change, and is proof that the threat of regulation works, even before the law takes effect. Waiting for perfect policy risks paralysis when real progress is already within reach," he said.
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Australia is set to implement the social media ban on 10 December 2025, restricting all users under 16 from holding accounts on major platforms including TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Reddit, Instagram, Facebook, Kick, Twitch, Threads and X. As the first country to adopt such comprehensive age restrictions for social media, the result of Australia's social media ban is being closely watched by governments worldwide.
University of Sydney experts have weighed in on the implications of this historic policy shift affecting Australian children and teenagers.
Global first in social media regulation and tech policy
The social media age ban represents a significant challenge to Big Tech's dominance and could spark similar youth protection measures internationally, with the move positioning Australia as a pioneer in confronting the power of major technology companies through government regulation.
Professor Terry Flew , Co-Director of the Centre for AI, Trust and Governance , emphasised that this Australian social media law could trigger a domino effect globally:
"The introduction of the social media minimum age framework is a pathbreaking measure by the Australian Federal Government. While Australia is the first to adopt such restrictions, it is unlikely to be the last. Many governments around the world are watching how the power of Big Tech was successfully taken on and are considering their own measures to address the adverse consequences of platform power."
And the regulatory impact is already being felt, even before the December implementation. Dr Timothy Koskie , Post-Doctoral Research Associate in Digital Communication, argued that the mere threat of social media regulation has proven effective.
"Australia's social media ban is already driving change, and is proof that the threat of regulation works, even before the law takes effect. Waiting for perfect policy risks paralysis when real progress is already within reach," he said.
"Many governments around the world are watching how the power of Big Tech was successfully taken on and are considering their own measures to address the adverse consequences of platform power."
Professor Terry Flew Co-Director of the Centre for AI, Trust and Governance
What are the mental health benefits of the ban?
"The upcoming social media ban is a positive step forward for the mental health of teens in Australia," she said. "Young people face enormous pressures to show up online through socialising with peers, seeking and providing validation, and expressing oneself. Social media is a breeding ground for comparison and subsequent mental health struggles regardless of age, so reducing this wherever possible can assist in delaying the age these pressures are placed on young people."
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The protection of young people's development is a critical consideration in child safety debates, and Professor Uri Gal , a digital ethics expert in the Business School, views the social media restrictions as necessary for healthy child development and emotional wellbeing.
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"Restricting teenagers' access to social media is essential for protecting their mental and emotional well-being, physical and psychological development, attention spans and emotional resilience," Professor Gal said.
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Several experts highlighted the potential positive impact of the under-16 social media ban on youth mental health and teen wellbeing.
Lecturer at the University of Sydney Business School Dr Ellese Ferdinands sees the ban as beneficial for delaying exposure to online pressures and protecting teenagers' mental health.
"The upcoming social media ban is a positive step forward for the mental health of teens in Australia," she said. "Young people face enormous pressures to show up online through socialising with peers, seeking and providing validation, and expressing oneself. Social media is a breeding ground for comparison and subsequent mental health struggles regardless of age, so reducing this wherever possible can assist in delaying the age these pressures are placed on young people."
The protection of young people's development is a critical consideration in child safety debates, and Professor Uri Gal , a digital ethics expert in the Business School, views the social media restrictions as necessary for healthy child development and emotional wellbeing.
"Restricting teenagers' access to social media is essential for protecting their mental and emotional well-being, physical and psychological development, attention spans and emotional resilience," Professor Gal said.
Will age verification work?
Digital Content Creation Lecturer Dr Brittany Ferdinands said that alternative approaches like digital literacy education and parental controls may prove more effective than age restrictions:
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"Preventing under-16s from having social media accounts won't necessarily stop them using them. In fact, it may push their activity underground. If governments want to protect young people, investment in digital literacy, media education and platform design changes will be arguably more effective than age bans that are easy to bypass."
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Privacy concerns and scepticism about technological age verification solutions are widespread among Australian parents and young people, with research findings pointing to significant trust issues around data security.
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Dr Catherine Page Jeffery , Lecturer in Media and Communications, highlighted the gap between policy intent and public confidence in age verification systems: "While there's broad support for age verification, our research shows young people and parents doubt it will work and worry about privacy and data security."
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Young people may simply migrate to less safe, unregulated platforms to circumvent the social media restrictions. Dr Ellese Ferdinands cautioned against assuming a blanket approach to social media access will achieve its online safety goals: "We must acknowledge that a blanket ban is not a perfect solution. Teens may now seek out alternatives, which may result in them using less regulated platforms than those facing the ban such as Instagram."
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Despite potential benefits for children's mental health, experts expressed significant concerns about whether the Australian social media ban can actually be enforced effectively through age verification technology and compliance mechanisms. The risk of pushing youth activity into less visible online spaces looms large.
Digital Content Creation Lecturer Dr Brittany Ferdinands said that alternative approaches like digital literacy education and parental controls may prove more effective than age restrictions:
"Preventing under-16s from having social media accounts won't necessarily stop them using them. In fact, it may push their activity underground. If governments want to protect young people, investment in digital literacy, media education and platform design changes will be arguably more effective than age bans that are easy to bypass."
Privacy concerns and scepticism about technological age verification solutions are widespread among Australian parents and young people, with research findings pointing to significant trust issues around data security.
Dr Catherine Page Jeffery , Lecturer in Media and Communications, highlighted the gap between policy intent and public confidence in age verification systems: "While there's broad support for age verification, our research shows young people and parents doubt it will work and worry about privacy and data security."
Young people may simply migrate to less safe, unregulated platforms to circumvent the social media restrictions. Dr Ellese Ferdinands cautioned against assuming a blanket approach to social media access will achieve its online safety goals: "We must acknowledge that a blanket ban is not a perfect solution. Teens may now seek out alternatives, which may result in them using less regulated platforms than those facing the ban such as Instagram."
Minister for Communications Anika Wells and eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant at Parliament House in Canberra, November 5, 2025. Photo credit: Mick Tsikas/AAP.
For some, social media is integral to how children and teenagers form and maintain their social identity and online friendships, yet banning it could lead to an improvement in emotional regulation, said Dr Christina Anthony from the Business School.
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Social connection, digital identity and online safety
Beyond enforcement concerns, experts highlighted the profound role social media platforms play in young people's lives, development and relationships in the digital age.
For some, social media is integral to how children and teenagers form and maintain their social identity and online friendships, yet banning it could lead to an improvement in emotional regulation, said Dr Christina Anthony from the Business School.
"Social media isn't just a pastime for kids - it's deeply embedded in their daily lives, how they connect with friends, express themselves, and develop their social identity"
Dr Christina Anthony, University of Sydney Business School
"Removing it is a massive behaviour change that could leave them feeling isolated, disrupt routines, and even affect how they've learned to express themselves. But even something that seems like a limitation could open the door to learning healthier emotion regulation strategies that can result in improved well-being over time."
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The gaming and digital play dimensions add another layer of complexity to the youth social media restrictions, particularly around harmful content exposure and online gaming communities.
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Senior Lecturer in Digital Cultures Dr Mark Johnson pointed to the tension between protecting youth from online harms and enabling positive digital participation on gaming platforms:
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"The social media ban for young people has massive potential implications for teenagers' and children's healthy and productive enjoyment of digital games and play, and their participation in the social worlds of their peers. At the same time, however, at a time of increasing gambling-related content on many major sites, it's important to think about how to reduce young people's exposure to such material - all of which shows the difficulty in a broad-brush approach that bans entire sites or platforms where so much online life takes place."
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"Social media isn't just a pastime for kids - it's deeply embedded in their daily lives, how they connect with friends, express themselves, and develop their social identity," she said.
"Removing it is a massive behaviour change that could leave them feeling isolated, disrupt routines, and even affect how they've learned to express themselves. But even something that seems like a limitation could open the door to learning healthier emotion regulation strategies that can result in improved well-being over time."
The gaming and digital play dimensions add another layer of complexity to the youth social media restrictions, particularly around harmful content exposure and online gaming communities.
Senior Lecturer in Digital Cultures Dr Mark Johnson pointed to the tension between protecting youth from online harms and enabling positive digital participation on gaming platforms:
"The social media ban for young people has massive potential implications for teenagers' and children's healthy and productive enjoyment of digital games and play, and their participation in the social worlds of their peers. At the same time, however, at a time of increasing gambling-related content on many major sites, it's important to think about how to reduce young people's exposure to such material - all of which shows the difficulty in a broad-brush approach that bans entire sites or platforms where so much online life takes place."
Gaming platforms such as Twitch and Kick will be included in the ban, while Roblox says it will launch its age verification system in three countries, including Australia. Photo credit: Dean Lewins/AAP
And in terms of international sport and sporting communities, the greatest effects of the ban will fall on non-elite under-16 athletes, said Dr Steve Georgakis, Senior Lecturer in Sports Studies:
"For youth athletes broadly, the direct impact of the social media ban is likely to be limited. The group of under-16 elite athletes is so small that, in practical terms, the consequences for sport performance or development are negligible.
"Instead, young sports fans and sporting kids are impacted. Young people rely heavily on social media to build community within their sporting circles, and they enjoy following the accounts of elite athletes; my own children's experiences reflect this. Restricting access will disrupt these everyday sporting interactions."
Are there better policy alternatives?
Not all experts are convinced that a total platform ban is the most effective approach to addressing social media's impact on children. Associate Professor Micah Goldwater from the School of Psychology questioned whether targeted interventions based on psychological research might work better than blanket age limits.
"A total ban may have worse effects relative to other possible regulations that are more directly informed by psychological research."
Associate Professor Micah Goldwater School of Psychology
Hero photo: AAP
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"Social media has formed an important part of young people's lives, the evidence for its harm may be overblown, and perhaps the harms are concentrated on some particular design elements. A total ban may have worse effects relative to other possible regulations that are more directly informed by psychological research," Professor Goldwater said.
Hero photo: AAP
