Work/Life SOCIAL MEDIA
Majority supports social media ban for children
A ustralia has to companies including Instagram, X and TikTok. The measure is intended to reduce the “social harm” done to young Australians and is set to come into force from late 2025. Tech giants will be up against fines of up to $32.5 million (U.S.) if they do not adhere to the rules. The new law was approved in December, with support from a majority of the general public. However, the blanket ban has sparked backlash from several child rights groups who warn that passed a social media ban for teenagers and children under the age of 16, which will apply it could cut off access to vital support, particularly for children from migrant, LGBTQIA+ and other minority backgrounds. Critics argue it could also push children toward less-regulated areas of the internet. The new legislation is the strictest of its kind on a national level and comes as other countries grapple with how best to regulate technology in a rapidly evolving world. Data from an Ipsos survey fielded last year shows that it’s not just Australians who support a full ban of social media for children and young teens. As the following chart shows, two thirds of respondents across the 30 countries surveyed said the By Anna Fleck
same. In France, an even higher share of adults (80%) held the view that children under the age of 14 should not be allowed social media either inside or outside of school. This belief was far less common in Germany (40%), which was the only nation where a majority did not support the ban.
Sentiments on smartphone use differed by generation. Where 36% of Gen Z said they would support a ban on smartphones in schools, the figure was far higher among older generations (66% of boomers, 58% of Gen X and 53% of millennials.)
January 2025
NorthBaybiz 17
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