We all know the kids will find a way for their social media fix

PAUL's POV on the proposed ban for under 16s: "Good luck with that, Albo."

If you’re looking for a conversation stopper this weekend, drop the phrase ‘social media ban’ into a group of people with teens/tweens and watch the ‘for’ and ‘against’ sides move quickly to their opposite corners. 

To recap, in case you’ve been doom-scrolling and missed it, the Prime Minister this week announced a plan for a minimum age to access social media and other digital platforms.

He said it could be anywhere between 14 and 16. 

I want to say what every parent is thinking: Good luck with that.

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The news has been praised and panned in roughly equal measure.

Kids under 16 were, unsurprisingly, outraged (although my own 11-year-old twins apparently haven’t heard about it yet. Perhaps they’ll hear about it the old school way via BTN!)

Parents' reactions have been mixed.

While the two sides debate whether or not there should be age restrictions on these platforms, the rest of us parents are left scratching our heads and wondering how on earth it might be implemented in a practical sense. 

My advice? Don’t panic. 

Paul McKeon and his son Image: Supplied

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If you’re for the ban, the Opposition’s support means it will likely go ahead. If you’re against, you only have to remind yourself many of these sites already have age restrictions, but kids (and their parents) find a way around them. 

For example: “Dad, can I use your phone for two minutes please?” 

I was an early social media advocate. For close to 20 years, I’ve helped businesses use social platforms to communicate with their adult customers and other audiences. I’ve been part of award-winning social media campaigns. I’m no luddite.  

In spite of that, or perhaps because of it, I am well aware of the dangers social media use presents to the still-developing minds of children and have seen (I’m looking at you here, Meta and X) the platforms’ disregard for kids’ mental health. 

There’s no question in my mind my own children are still too young for social media. 

Are yours? I kinda think that’s up to you. 

I’ll take it as a given that any parent about to let their child sign up for anything online does their due diligence first. And you don’t have to look too hard to find horror stories of kids being bullied on-line or see the effect of too much screen time on their behaviour. 

If you haven’t, spend a few minutes reading the eSafety Commissioner’s report. 

But not all kids are alike and there’s obviously a significant difference between any 14-year-old and a 16-year-old. In my mind that’s the challenge of a blunt instrument like an age-based ban; this is a complicated and nuanced issue. 

No Government in the world has yet been able to implement something like this so clearly the jury is out on whether or not it can be effective. My own instinct is it’ll do little to address the problem (beyond parents being able to play the “it’s the law card”). 

At the end of the day, as with most things, it’s our job as parents to decide what’s right for our own children. Common sense says, given the known risks, it’s wise to take a cautious approach. Parenting is partly about risk management, after all! 

My guess is whether or not the ban happens will have little practical difference to most of us. By now you’ve either decided social media is not good for your kids and are the best person to decide if and when that changes. 

The bigger issue for me is why my kids can’t watch the AFL finals on a streaming service without being exposed to constant advertising for online gambling sites even - though I’m paying $35 a month for the privilege! 

Originally published as We all know the kids will find a way for their social media fix