November 29th 2024.
Governments all over the globe have been grappling with the best approach to safeguard young individuals from the potential harms of social media. Australia has been one of the strictest in this regard, with laws in place to keep young teenagers away from it. This idea initially stemmed from South Australia and was spearheaded by Premier Peter Malinauskas.
The South Australian government, under the leadership of Malinauskas, has proposed a legislation that prohibits children under the age of 14 from using social media. Malinauskas strongly believes that ignoring the mounting evidence of the negative impact of social media on young minds would be reckless and irresponsible. As a parent himself, he has had similar conversations with his family, just like many others across the country.
In fact, it was Malinauskas' wife who first brought his attention to the issue after reading the book, The Anxious Generation. She urged him to take action, and this led to the commissioning of a comprehensive report. The findings of this report ultimately resulted in the proposal to ban social media for children under 14. This idea quickly gained national attention, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also announcing plans to ban children under 16 from accessing social media.
The proposed legislation has already been tabled in parliament and was passed on Thursday night. However, there are some who argue that restricting access to social media may not be the perfect solution. ReachOut's deputy CEO, Jackie Hallan, believes that social media can be a positive space for young individuals to connect, create, and develop their identity. In fact, 73% of young people use social media to access mental health and wellbeing support.
On the other hand, some believe that an age limit could be a crucial first step in addressing the issue. According to Malinauskas, nothing will make a bigger difference than restricting children from these platforms in the first place. It is also important to note that support is available for young individuals who may be struggling with the effects of social media. They can reach out to the Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 for assistance.
This article was created with the assistance of 9ExPress.
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