Teenage network users spend an average of respective hours a day in virtual reality. Source: Pixabay.com. licence – Content licence Pixabay. Author – NatureaddictTeenage users from respective countries will say goodbye to access to social platforms specified as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook or the X portal. There were besides doubts with the fresh regulations. Citizens wonder if the usage of social media brings more losses than benefits? Will bans defend their children from possible dangers? Will they origin the other effect instead? Is increasing up without social media possible nowadays?
Last December, the Australian Parliament adopted a law prohibiting the usage of social media by minors. The ban will be introduced in November 2025. People under 16 will not be able to usage any social platforms. The banned applications will include Tik Tok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and X. This is the first specified ban in the world. In another countries, only attempts have been made to restrict access to social media for young people.
According to a survey conducted by YouGov, 77% of Australians support the ban. According to the Australian authorities, fresh regulations are needed to defend young people from the harmful effects of social media. The negative consequences of utilizing social platforms include harmful effects on intellectual wellness and self-esteem, user addiction algorithms, as well as notifications and alerts that can origin stress and deconcentration. By accessing social media, young people are besides exposed to harmful content, related to drugs, force and pornography.
With the approval of the ban, many doubts arose. How will social platforms verify the age of users? Will this not lead to increased collection of individual data? Critics of the bill say the intended actions will have the other effect. They can increase the sense of alienation and distort the participation of young people in society. They accuse legislators of restricting freedom of speech. There have besides been suppositions that locking mechanisms will be easy bypassed, so they do not make much sense. Critics besides say that the network should be controlled by parents and not by the government.
Albania began 2025 with restrictions on Tik Tok – it introduced a 12-month ban on this application. He argues against the dangers posed by social media to young people. Albania's Prime Minister – Edi Rama – announced a ban after the tragic death of a 14-year-old boy. A teenager was killed by his colleague after a fight that happened online. The tragedy has sparked many discussions about the impact of social media on children. “We will ban applications for a year and start implementing programs that will service the education of students and aid parents follow the destiny of their children,” stressed Rama at a gathering with citizens. Despite tragic events, the social platform has announced that it demands clarification on the proposed ban. Tik Tok reports that he found no evidence indicating that the individual who attacked the boy and the victim had accounts in this application.
Australia and Albania are not the only countries that restrict social media. In 2023, regulations were adopted in France blocking social media until the age of 13. By 15th birthday, young people can only establish accounts with the approval of a parent or legal guardian. However, it turned out that the locks were easy to bypass utilizing VPN. French president Emmanuel Macron besides commented on this issue. He stated that he would like social media restrictions to function in many European countries by the age of 15.
The information that went around the planet is the full ban on TikTok's operation in the US. The app has been removed from Apple and Google stores, it will not be downloadable or updated. This decision was made by legislature in April 2024 and is argued by national security. It can be read in the explanatory memorandum that a company with a platform is subject to the influence of the Chinese government and so there is simply a hazard of data being transmitted to Beijing by U.S. citizens. The ultimate Court made its final decision on this substance on 19 January.
The terms and conditions of platforms specified as Instagram and Facebook let to establish an account only after the age of 13. Despite this, social networks do not check the entered data, users simply enter their date of birth so that it agrees with the rules. Restrictions on the usage of social media origin discussions in many countries. The German people besides expressed their approval for the ban (the YouGov survey last November), so it is not excluded that they will shortly besides introduce any restrictions for young people. German politicians are already banned from utilizing TikTok on business phones.
Social media are an crucial component of everyday life. Despite the many positives they carry, we must remember the always - emerging dangers. Prohibitions and restrictions are mostly introduced in good faith, but they affect the hazard of alienating young people. There will surely be users among young people who will make a way to circumvent restrictive bans. Marcelina Górska
