Teens will find a way around the social media ban, but that doesn’t mean we should panic: Ben Sacco
Bans don’t solve everything – kids will find a way around it. The truth is, screens are a natural part of their lives now, so here’s what to do.
With Australia moving towards a world-first ban on social media for children under 16 and Victoria proposing limits on screen use in primary classrooms, it’s no surprise that the nation is deep in debate about kids, technology and the role of parents.
Whether or not you support the new rules, one thing is clear: these changes give families a rare opportunity to hit “reset” and rethink how we navigate the digital world together.
The reality is bans alone don’t solve everything.
Young people are creative, determined and incredibly tech-savvy.
If they want access to a platform, they’ll often find a way around restrictions.
We’ve all seen it; the account set up under a parent’s name or the borrowed login from an older sibling or cousin.
That’s not mischief.
It’s human nature and while blocking apps is helpful to a degree, it is not a long-term solution.
What we must do is build capability and support young people to critically think about their social media engagement and behaviour when using it.
If anything, this moment should serve as a wake-up call for all of us.
Technology isn’t a passing trend in children and young people’s lives.
It’s embedded in how they learn, socialise, express themselves and explore their identities.
Today’s digital world is far more complex and integrated than the internet that many parents grew up with in the 1990s and early 2000s and suggesting we can remove young people from it entirely is neither realistic nor necessary.
What we can do is recognise that screens are a natural part of their environment.
We don’t need to panic with every new platform or default to assuming the worst about teens online, but we do need to understand enough about the platforms and apps that kids are engaging with.
We wouldn’t hand a young person the keys to a car without guiding them through the foundational rules of the road, yet we often expect them to navigate the digital world alone.
Raising children has always required effort, attention and patience.
This is simply the modern version of that responsibility.
The best outcomes rarely come without effort.
Part of that work is starting thoughtful conversations with our children about healthy digital boundaries and helping them understand online behaviour and its long-term implications, both positive and negative.
It also means modelling responsible technology use ourselves, staying informed and being present in their online lives without being intrusive.
With the right support, technology becomes something young people can navigate with confidence, rather than something they need to fear.
Kids today live in a world where digital references are everywhere.
Even children’s programs are filled with characters saying “message me” or “follow me.”
This is their cultural landscape, just as music videos, magazines or arcade games were for earlier generations.
Suggesting we can wall it off forever won’t prepare them for the real world they will inherit.
What will prepare them is curiosity.
And that part starts at home.
This policy shift gives parents a perfect opening to sit down with their kids and explore the “why” behind the screen rules, not just the “no.”
Instead of treating technology as forbidden fruit, we can help young people understand how online platforms work, why they’re designed the way they are and how to use them with intention rather than impulse.
We can also equip them with strategies for when things go unplanned online, helping them respond calmly, make better choices and learn from mistakes instead of feeling shame or fear.
These are the conversations that build real digital literacy:
Why does this app make you feel that way?
What do you think the creators wanted you to click on?
How do you decide who to trust online?
What’s fun about this and what’s not so fun?
Who could you go to if you feel unsafe, following online engagement?
Framed this way, technology becomes something families navigate together, not a battleground of rules and workarounds.
Keep in mind, parents don’t need to be experts in every app.
What matters is modelling curiosity and showing kids that asking questions, thinking critically and making mindful choices are good everyday habits.
That’s what truly prepares young people for an online world that is exciting, creative and full of opportunity.
The introduction of these policies also gives schools and teachers a chance to re-evaluate how screen time is balanced with hands-on learning.
Again, this doesn’t have to be about restriction for restriction’s sake.
It can be about re-claiming time for conversation, imagination, collaboration and play which are all meaningful experiences children absolutely need, both online and offline.
And for policymakers, this can be a reset as well.
Rather than relying on bans alone, we can use this moment to invest in parent education, digital citizenship programs and community support.
Young people deserve more than protection, they deserve preparation.
So while opinions will differ on the details of the new rules, the opportunity they create is universal: a chance to strengthen the relationship between children and parents, to build trust and to guide young people in understanding the incredible digital world they’re growing into.
If we use this moment well, the conversations will matter far more than the bans.
Ben Sacco is an education expert and managing director of Education Economy with over 20 years of classroom experience.
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Originally published as Teens will find a way around the social media ban, but that doesn’t mean we should panic: Ben Sacco
