What would happen if the world follows Australia’s social media ban?

Australia has just done what many parents have wished for, and what most governments have avoided, by banning social media for children under 16. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook are all off-limits, unless platforms can prove users are old enough. If the companies refuse, they face fines in the tens of millions.

 

 

This is the first ban of its kind anywhere in the world, and whether we like it or not, it kicks off a global experiment about what childhood could look like without social media.

 

 

For more than a decade, young children have grown up in a space where older adults barely understand. Their friendships, self-esteem, humour, creativity, even their sense of identity, have all been shaped through algorithms designed to capture attention, not to protect young minds. Despite years of research showing harm, governments have hesitated.

 

 

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s message to students was simple: use this time to reconnect with real life. Play a sport. Try a new hobby. Read something that isn’t on a screen. Spend time with actual friends instead of scrolling through their carefully curated lives. His words remind us that childhood once existed without the constant buzz of notifications and that maybe, it can again.

 

 

If other countries follow Australia’s lead, the impact on children could be enormous.

 

 

To begin with, we could see a real shift in mental health. There’s no denying the link between social media and anxiety, depression, and poor body image in teens. Removing these platforms during some of the most fragile years might give children space to grow, without constantly comparing themselves to others or being exposed to harmful content that platforms still struggle to moderate.

 

 

We could also see kids returning to face-to-face interaction. Globally, this is something many teachers and parents have reportedly said is slipping away. Without social media as the default social space, young people may rediscover the value of friendships built through activities, conversation, and real-world play.

 

 

Classrooms might benefit too. Teachers have been fighting a losing battle for students’ attention, with many reporting shorter attention spans and increased fatigue. Without late-night scrolling and constant digital distraction, students may finally be able to focus and rest.

 

 

This isn’t a magic fix. A ban won’t eliminate the digital world; but it does create a boundary around one part of it. Children still need strong media literacy skills and they still need safe spaces to talk about technology, emotions, and peer pressure. Families will still have to navigate the rest of the online universe: gaming, messaging apps, and whatever new platforms happen next.

 

 

Big Tech will also feel the pressure. For years, platforms claimed real age verification was too complicated. Australia has proven that governments can force innovation when the will is strong enough.

 

 

Whether the world follows remains to be seen. But Australia has started a conversation that’s long overdue: What do we owe our children in a world where technology grows faster than they do? And what does childhood look like when we put their well-being ahead of Big Tech’s bottom line?