How social media can impact a childs mental health, as Australia enacts ban
Australia is pulling the plug on its teens’ social media habits.The country enacted the world’s first ban on social media for children under 16 this week, threatening tech giants with multi-million-dollar fines if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to kick underage users off their platforms.Officials say the crackdown targets the site’s “design features that encourage [young Australians] to spend more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing.”It follows a government-commissioned study that found 96% of Australian kids ages 10 to 15 are on social media, and seven in 10 have been exposed to harmful content — including posts that promote violence, misogyny, eating disorders and suicide.“This is the day when Australian families are taking back power from these big tech companies,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp on Wednesday.
“They’re asserting the right of kids to be kids and for parents to have greater peace of mind.” The world is watching closely as Australia implements the ban, amid growing concerns over the effects of heavy social media use on young people’s health and safety.Research suggests those worries are well-founded.
A 2019 study of Americans ages 12 to 15 found that kids who spent more than three hours a day on social media faced double the risk of negative mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety.Another study showed that the more often teens turn to social media, the more likely they are to develop thoughts and behaviors linked to eating disorders, particularly among girls.Heavy use has also been tied to self-harm and suicidal behavior.One study found that 14.8% of young people admitted to mental hospitals for posing a risk to themselves or others had visited websites encouraging suicide in the two weeks before their admission.
The influence doesn’t stop there.Studies suggest that teens exposed to posts showing risky b...