Australian Teens Use Social Media Even After Ban

A law in Australia prohibiting social media use for individuals under 16 has had a limited long-term impact, with usage showing a rebound after an initial decline. While the ban initially reduced children's engagement with social platforms, their activity has since begun to increase again.

Analysis of usage data reveals that on certain applications, such as TikTok, the activity levels among teenagers aged 13 to 15 have nearly returned to pre-ban figures. The decrease in TikTok usage within this age group was only one percentage point. For younger children aged 10 to 12, the reduction was even more marginal, at just 0.06 percentage points.

Researchers theorize that many children are circumventing the restrictions. Common methods include using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to mask their true location or providing false age information during sign-up. Additionally, some children are shifting their focus to platforms like WhatsApp, which are not included in the current legal prohibition.

The available data indicates that the ban has not significantly compelled teenagers to abandon social media altogether. The study, adapted for easy reading using artificial intelligence developed by researchers at Vytautas Magnus University in collaboration with the news agency ELTA, suggests the effectiveness of such age-based restrictions remains questionable in the digital age.