Monash experts: Australian government under 16s social media ban

Monash University

With the Australian government’s social media ban for under 16s coming into effect on 10 December, Monash experts across a range of Faculties are available to comment on the implications of the ban.

Available for comment:

Associate Professor Brady Robards, Sociology, Faculty of Arts

Contact details: +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]

Read more of Associate Professor Robard’s work at Monash Lens

Potential harm from the ban in terms of driving young people to less regulated spaces and reducing channels for help-seeking with parents/trusted adults
Impacts on marginalised young people who rely on social media for connection and belonging (regional/rural, disability, LGBTQIA+, etc.)
Lack of engagement with young people and rushed nature of the legislation
The need for more nuanced regulation of platforms and harm management

Professor Marie Yap, Psychologist and parenting expert at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health in the Monash School of Psychological Sciences
Contact: +61 468 383 782 or [email protected] (Please reach out via email first)

The following comments can be attributed to Professor Yap:

“Parents have a key role to play in helping children understand and adapt to these changes. Particularly for those who spend a lot of time on social media now, the changes are likely to come with a range of emotions, from anxiety or grief to anger. If social media is already a big part of their lives, they may struggle to find replacements that meet their needs in the same way, including the need for connection, self expression, and to seek support, especially if they’re unable to find support offline.

“The first thing you should do, before even raising the topic with your children, is to do your research. Equip yourself with accurate information and know how to answer their questions or correct any dis or misinformation they may bring up. The Australian eSafety Commissioner’s website is a great place to start.

“When speaking with your children, be mindful of your tone and your own view of the changes. If they sense you are judgemental or forceful, they may not be honest about how they really feel. Also try to avoid reacting negatively to any emotional outbursts your children may have. The focus should be on showing empathy, validating their feelings and keeping the dialogue open. Be aware of who is influencing their opinions on the topic. This could be friends, public figures, or even social media influencers. That insight will help you understand their logic and can inform your discussions.

“For some parents, these kinds of conversations will be new. Not all families talk openly about their online lives. This is a great opportunity to develop a more open and trusting dialogue with your children on this topic. It’s possible, if this is the first time you are discussing it with them, that you may be surprised by your child’s social media usage. Please try to pause and breathe before reacting. Again, you don’t want to shut that door and make your children think they have to hide things from you for fear of upsetting or angering you. Creating a safe space for your children to talk openly will strengthen your relationship and enable you to help them navigate the dynamic digital world they are growing up in.”

Professor Paula Gerber, Faculty of Law
Contact: +61 410 596 494 or [email protected]
Read more of Professor Gerber’s commentary on Monash Lens

The following comments can be attributed to Professor Gerber:

“LGBTIQA+ youth in Australia rely heavily on social media for mental health support, connection, community building and identity development. It is vital that these resources will now be accessible offline, especially in rural and unsupportive environments.

“Almost three-quarters of young trans Australians report that using social media makes them feel better about themselves and 91 per cent of LGBTIQA+ youth in a national survey said social media helped them connect with others like them. A ban is likely to sever these crucial lifelines.

“For queer youth, the ban may reduce the immediate risks associated with social media, such as exposure to homophobic or transphobic cyberbullying, harmful content and predatory behaviours. However, this positive impact is contingent on the availability of strong, supportive offline communities and resources (which are all too often lacking for queer youth, especially in regional and remote communities).

“Restricting access is likely to deepen isolation, hinder self-expression and limit participation in civic and cultural life, which are rights protected under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, an international treaty that Australia has ratified. While the ban aims to protect children from online harms, it risks disproportionately affecting vulnerable youth who are already facing discrimination and exclusion offline.

“The Convention on the Rights of the Child recognises children’s rights to freedom of expression and access to information (Article 13), and to participate in matters affecting them (Article 12). The Convention also recognises the importance of ensuring children’s access to diverse media, including content that supports their well-being (Article 17), which can include LGBTIQA+ affirming resources and online communities. The social media ban potentially violates these international laws that are in place to protect the rights of children.”

Associate Professor Eric Windholz, Faculty of Law
Contact: +61 402 463 996 or [email protected]

Read more of Associate Professor Windholz’s commentary on Monash Lens

The following comments can be attributed to Associate Professor Windholz:

“Regulation to protect minors (and consumers more generally) from making choices that may be harmful to themselves is commonplace in Australia. The social media ban, however, represents a significant extension of past regulation, and a new high water mark in the state’s paternalism.

“Within it there also is an irony. The social media ban is a statement by government that parents are unable or unwilling to regulate their own children's behaviour. At the same time, while primary responsibility for enforcing the ban lies with social media platforms, effective enforcement also will depend on those same parents educating children about the ban and encouraging (if not enforcing) compliance.

“And beware the ‘forbidden fruit effect’. Regulatory prohibitions and restrictions entice the rebellious and curious to experiment with the prohibited activity - many children will seek to circumvent the ban. And the unscrupulous and criminal will exploit the opportunities this presents. Prohibition has a poor track record of success.”

Dr Clare Southerton, School of Education Culture & Society, Faculty of Education

Contact details: +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]

There are valid reasons to be concerned about unsafe social media spaces and practices but bans do not support young people to learn safe social media use.
It is possible that the ban may encourage young people to access social media platforms through illicit means, thereby exposing them to more dangerous practices.
Young people may be reluctant to report anything dangerous they experience when accessing social media when they shouldn’t be.
It is important that young people learn to engage critically with social media and digital spaces, to develop digital literacy and algorithmic awareness. Delaying their engagement will not scaffold this and imagines that they will develop these skills by ageing alone. This is not evidence-based, we know that children must be taught these skills.

The following comments can be attributed to Dr Southerton:

“We do not yet have any evidence that social media bans are effective at addressing social media harms, but we do have ample evidence that young people – especially vulnerable young people – find social connection and support on social media.

“It may seem appealing to believe that a ban will provide a solution to the complicated challenge that is navigating social media with young people. Unfortunately, the reality is that there is little evidence to suggest these kinds of bans are effective, and some evidence to suggest it could cause harm. What we do know is that it is important to talk to your children about social media, and build trust with them so that when they encounter something inappropriate or unsafe they feel comfortable talking to you about it.

“It is also important to remember that social media can play a significant role in young people's social lives. Having this taken away may be upsetting and parents should be prepared for that reaction. I would encourage parents to take their children’s feelings seriously. Remember that children growing up now don’t tend to have the same freedom to roam as you might have had growing up, so social media may have filled the social gap for some young people. Try not to dismiss any feelings and consider ways for children to connect with peers, even if they aren’t physically nearby.”

Professor Jon Rouse, AI for Law Enforcement and Community Safety (AiLECS) Lab, Faculty of Information Technology

Contact details: +61 450 501 248 or [email protected]

*Note: Professor Rouse has 39 years’ of experience in Australian law enforcement and worked to combat child sexual abuse and exploitation as part of Task Force Argos

Technology to counter online child abuse material
Child protection
Online safety for children

The following can be attributed to Professor Rouse:

“If implemented well, the legacy of 10 December should not simply be that children were kept off certain platforms, but that industry incentives were shifted, and that measurable improvements in children’s mental health, safety and participation become the standard against which digital services are judged.

“The introduction of the social media age restrictions for children on 10 December mark a long-overdue recalibration of responsibility in the digital environment.

“For years, technology companies have been presented with clear research, regulator guidance and survivor testimony about the harms experienced by children on their platforms. They have had ample warning and time to embed safety by design, yet responses have too often been piecemeal and reactive.

“In practice, we have seen a pattern where growth and revenue have been prioritised, and children’s safety has been treated as a secondary consideration – a classic case of profit over protection. In that light, the new restrictions are not an overreach; they are a response to a systemic failure of self-regulation.

“The challenge now is to ensure that this delay is accompanied by rigorous age-assurance, independent oversight of platform practices, and investment in education and support for families.”

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