South Australia considers social media ban for children under 14

Children under the age of 14 in South Australia would be banned from using social media under a proposal put forward by the state’s premier.

Peter Malinauskas announced that his state government had appointed Robert French, former Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, to examine the legal practicalities of implementing Australia’s first social media age ban.

Under the state government’s proposal, any South Australian under the age of 14 would be banned from using any social media, and those aged 14 and 15 would require parental consent to access an account.

Malinauskas said that there is mounting evidence that social media is detrimental to children’s mental health and development.

“There has been much examination and consequential evidence to suggest that addictive algorithms are being used to draw young people in a way that their developing minds are just not capable of dealing with.

“Our kids are being harmed now, and there’s no time to waste. I don’t want to sit around waiting for someone else. Let’s lead.”

He said the rules and regulations could emulate those that prevent Australians under the age of 18 from accessing online gambling.

According to a report published by the federal government’s eSafety Commissioner in 2021, Australian teenagers spend an average of 14.4 hours per week online and use an average of four different social media services.

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