Australia is pulling the plug on its teens’ social media habits.
The country enacted the world’s first ban on social media for children under 16 this week, threatening tech giants with multi-million-dollar fines if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to kick underage users off their platforms.
Officials say the crackdown targets the site’s “design features that encourage [young Australians] to spend more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing.”
It follows a government-commissioned study that found 96% of Australian kids ages 10 to 15 are on social media, and seven in 10 have been exposed to harmful content — including posts that promote violence, misogyny, eating disorders and suicide.
“This is the day when Australian families are taking back power from these big tech companies,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp on Wednesday. “They’re asserting the right of kids to be kids and for parents to have greater peace of mind.”
The world is watching closely as Australia implements the ban, amid growing concerns over the effects of heavy social media use on young people’s health and safety.
Research suggests those worries are well-founded.
A 2019 study of Americans ages 12 to 15 found that kids who spent more than three hours a day on social media faced double the risk of negative mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety.
Another study showed that the more often teens turn to social media, the more likely they are to develop thoughts and behaviors linked to eating disorders, particularly among girls.
Heavy use has also been tied to self-harm and suicidal behavior. One study found that 14.8% of young people admitted to mental hospitals for posing 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 showing risky behaviors — like drinking, drug use or reckless stunts — are more likely to engage in those behaviors themselves.
Social media may also be taking a toll on their physical health.
A recent study found that kids who got a cellphone before age 12 were more likely to develop obesity and poor sleep habits compared to those who didn’t.
Meanwhile, more than 80% of children ages 11 to 17 fail to get the recommended daily physical activity, partly because screens have replaced play and exercise. Being sedentary can lead to poorer health and social development.
Sleep is another casualty. In surveys, 93% of Gen Z admit they’ve stayed up past bedtime to check social media, while research shows that heavy daytime users suffer three times more sleep disturbances than their peers who spend less time online.
Taken together, these effects may be hurting kids 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 got.
Another study showed that heavy social media use is linked to a gradual decline in attention span, making it harder for kids to concentrate and learn.
The concerns have grown so serious that in 2024, the US Surgeon General called for warning labels on social media, similar to the health warnings on cigarette packs.
“It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents,” Dr. Vivek Murthy wrote in an opinion piece in The New York Times.
Here’s the good news: logging off seems to actually help.
A 2023 study found that teens who cut 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 one-week social media detox reduced depressive symptoms by 25%, anxiety by 16% and insomnia by 15%.
The break also seemed to tame the apps’ addictive pull, with participants’ average screen time dropping by about 30 minutes even after the week-long pause.
The findings come as teens themselves seem to be souring on social media. Earlier this year, a survey found that nearly half of US teens ages 13 to 17 feel social media has a “mostly negative” impact on people their age — up from 32% in 2022.
“The overuse of social media in our society seems to be the main cause of depression among those in my age group,” one teen boy reported. “People seem to let themselves be affected by the opinions of people they don’t know, and it wreaks havoc upon people’s states of mind.”
Of course, social media isn’t all bad for teens.
When used responsibly, it’s been shown to help young people find community, build friendships and connect with others who share their interests or experiences.
It also provides a platform for teens to express themselves, seek support, and see how others cope with life’s challenges.
In fact, a survey found that 74% of teens say social media helps them feel more connected to friends, while 63% say it gives them a space to show off their creative side.
