Australia’s Social Media Ban

Today marks the inauguration of Australia’s social media ban for all under-sixteens.

Off the bat - as a mum of three teens under 16 - I have concerns about:

Their freedom of speech

Their freedom of choice

Potential discrimination

Their security being compromised (as they may now be required to provide government-issued ID as proof of age)

On the other hand, I’m holding my breath in hopeful anticipation.

Will this work…or won’t it?

How on earth would it even be enforced?

Is it truly possible?

In a perfect world, our children would be free from constant cyber attacks that pry on their well-being at every hour of every day, from all angles. At the very least, online bullying, self-harm, and teen suicide rates would plummet. Perhaps this could finally open the door to ending the exploitation of children on social media for financial gain.

But this is not a perfect world.

I’m not exactly on the fence. I’ve seen and felt the damaging effects that an unsupervised online social life can have on our children. At a time when they should be curious, expectant, and full of hope and dreams for the future, many are instead dreading tomorrow… or even the next hour.

Right now, I’m sitting beside the fence, holding on for dear life (and I’m pretty sure it has electrical currents running through it).

Every parent knows that children thrive on structure and boundaries. We also know that a firm “No” is often met with a defiant “Yes.” Perhaps, in the long run, a total ban isn’t the answer, but it is one small step forward.

What I am 100% sure of is this: Cyber supervision - from both parents, educators and the owners of these tech giants - is no longer optional. It is essential if we want a safer online community for our children.

This ban may not be the perfect solution in my opinion. It certainly won't solve everything. But if it starts a deeper global conversation about how we can protect our children in digital spaces, then maybe - just maybe - it’s a step worth taking.

For now, I’ll stay right here.

Hands on the fence.

Heart full of hope.

And eyes wide open.

Expectant.