Australia’s ban on social media for anyone under 16 came into effect recently and the road has already proven bumpier than expected.
Hundreds of thousands of teens have been logged out of platforms including X, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Reddit.
The legislation requires social media companies to take “reasonable steps” to block users under 16. Platforms that fail to comply face fines of up to $50 million.
Meta began deleting accounts from December 4, and the ban officially took effect on December 10.
The government says the measure protects children from apps identified as harmful, based on expert submissions to a Senate hearing in 2024.
Mar Riek, music program director at Next Gen Unite and founder of 1038 The Collective, sympathises with young people who no longer have the same opportunities he did.
“To an extent the government is protecting kids, but they’re also restricting them from wealth,” the Pakenham resident said.
“I feel bad for my young buccs trying to make a name, living or hustle in a positive manner.”
Isabella Sumsion, a year 9 student at Beaconhills College described the adjustment as significant but manageable.
“All that really matters is that everyone is still keeping in touch with each other,” the 15 year old said.
“It’s definitely for the better and I think something like this should have been put in place a long time ago.”
As an author who published her first book recently, the ban affected her marketing plans.
“I had only just started thinking about ways to market on social media before the ban was put in place,” Isabella said.
“When I build up the courage to promote on social media, I may be able to create a business account to do so but the ban shut down my promotion before it even began.”
Despite this, she remains optimistic. “It’s the holidays, so I’ll have time to find new ways to share my work, and I’m really excited about it.”
With social media off-limits, Mar and other artists are turning to in-person events, school networks, and word-of-mouth marketing. He is confident that traditional strategies like those used by rappers in the 90’s can still promote music effectively.
“We just have to find a way to hustle, find a way to work around it, because in life there’s always going to be obstacles,” he said.
“We can’t give up on young people, they are the future and a big part of our fan base.”
One young musician wrote to Mar:
“My Instagram account won’t work anymore. I just wanted to say thanks for all the support. I’m still making music, just won’t be able to post, so follow my SoundCloud for now.”
Mar encourages young creatives to persevere: “I hope they can still find a way to make business moves.“
