A Pioneering Social Media Trial Kicks Off in Australia

Australia was one of the first countries to pass a nationwide law to address those concerns. Last December, it set 16 as the minimum age for social media accounts, meaning hundreds of thousands of younger children would lose theirs. Other nations, like Malaysia, have followed suit with similar plans.

Australia’s new law banning children under 16 from having social media accounts, set to take effect Wednesday, is unlikely to significantly impact teens, according to young users in Melbourne. Born around the same time platforms like Instagram and Snapchat emerged, teens are already deeply familiar with digital tools and often find ways around age restrictions using VPNs, falsified information, or older siblings’ accounts.

Fifteen-year-old Darcey Pritchard deleted Snapchat last year due to its addictive algorithm, while her friend Luca Hagop recently spent over 34 hours on Instagram in one week. Amelie Tomlinson, 14, actively uses Snapchat, whereas Jasmine Bentley, 15, is not allowed on any platform but aspires to be a content creator. Despite their varied relationships with social media, all agree the ban will not drastically change their routines.

The law, passed last year, places responsibility on social media companies to restrict under-16 users and does not penalize parents or children who violate it. Officials, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, caution that it is not a quick fix, aiming instead to support parents concerned about mental health, online bullying, and peer pressure among teens.

However, social media remains deeply integrated into teens’ social lives. Memes, TikTok videos, and anonymous platforms like Discord continue to shape their interactions, even for those not officially on the apps. Popular apps like “Yope” and “Lemon8” suggest that teens may migrate to new platforms, presenting ongoing challenges for regulators.