From December 10, 2025, social media companies such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc. can be fined up to AUD 50 million for failing to remove such accounts from their platforms.
What are the concerns regarding social media usage in children?
- Mental Health: Children addicted to social media often show increased rates of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.
- Physical Health: Exposure to certain content promotes sedentary behavior, eating disorders and unattainable beauty ideals leading to issues like disrupted sleep patterns, obesity etc.
- Social development: Constant use of the virtual platforms reduces face-to-face interactions leading to social isolation, strained family relations and inability in emotional regulation.
- Online safety concerns: Social media makes children susceptible to cyberbullying, harmful content, and online sexual predators.
Potential negative effects of the ban
- Limit development of digital skills: Limits positive impacts of using social media such as creative expression, collaborative learning via educational content, interest-based networking, etc.
- May push children to unsafe places on the Internet E.g. Dark Web
Alternative approaches to tackle social media addiction in children
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