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Man in the street / Social networks banned for under-16s: should we follow Australia’s example? | FAXINFO

December 10, 2024

On November 28, Australia passed a law banning social media for those under 16. This unprecedented law seems to have many followers.

Angie (nurse): I think it's a good thing, I would vote for this law if it were proposed to us in the United States. I have three children, they are 11, 13 and 15 years old and they often talk to me about what they see or share on their Instagram and Tik Tok accounts. They have never been hurt, in any way, by social networks but I think it does not bring them much positive. When they sit there scrolling through their social networks, I can see that they end up getting stupid in front of their screens. I would prefer them to be outside playing and meeting people, it would be more enriching.

Makiba (journalist): I would say that social media is both positive and negative. It can be offensive to users but also very useful in everyday life. Thanks to Tik Tok for example, which I think is the new Google, we have access to informative and explanatory videos on thousands of subjects. If we ask ourselves a question, whatever it may be, we can easily and quickly get a precise answer on social media. So networks can educate and transmit knowledge, but on the other hand, children often find themselves seeing things that they are not supposed to see or hear.

William (shoemaker): I agree, under 16, young people should not use social networks. Many young people change their personality or leave home because they are persecuted on social networks. The self-esteem of many young girls is destroyed, others commit the irreparable by killing themselves. You have to be strong and mature to be able to use social networks without risk. Sometimes, it is not even enough when we see that a large number of celebrities, aged over 30, openly talk about their psychological suffering related to social networks. So, we can easily imagine the danger that social networks represent for teenagers.