Friday, November 29

Australia has approved a first-of-its-kind ban on social media for children under 16, but it has faced serious mixed reactions from the public.

Many social media companies have age restrictions or recommendations, but children can easily lie about their age on these applications. Most social media apps, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat state that anyone under the age of 13 is not permitted to create an account-- the numbers vary, but studies show that between 20% and 40% of children lie about their age online.

In addition, evidence continues to mount up that there are countless detrimental effects of social media use in young children. One study found that teenagers who spend more than three hours per day on social media are over twice as likely to experience mental health problems like depression and anxiety, while other effects of social media include everything from poor sleep quality to eating disorders to low self-esteem. Most doctors and scientists agree that children should not have access to social media before, at minimum, the age of 13 or 14, but Australia's latest ban has gone a step above that.

The new law was approved by Australia's parliament this week, and is the world's first of its kind. Several other countries have imposed bans on social media, but Australia's is the world's strictest. France has a national ban on social media for children under the age of 15, while Belgium requires children to be at least 13 before they open an account without parental permission. Several US states have also passed legislation on social media age restrictions.

Australia's ban relies on some sort of technology to confirm the age of a person, and social media networks which fail to implement this can expect a fine of around $50 million Australian dollars ($32.6 million USD). However, it does not penalize children who attempt to get around the law. It is expected to take effect in around one year, giving social media companies time to adjust.

The ban has seen seriously mixed reactions across the board, as there are certain aspects of it that are strongly supported by groups and other parts that have been questioned. Many parents and affiliated government officials have pointed out the good in the ban, as it works to prevent underage children from becoming addicted to social media.

However, many groups, including several social media companies, have criticized the ban over its vagueness. It does not specify which platforms would be affected, but officials have confirmed that gaming, education, and messaging sites will not be taken into account, along with sites that do not require an account at all-- that instantly makes sites like YouTube, WhatsApp, and Google Classroom exempt.

Also, it does not specify how the government would find out the ages of social media users, drawing concern over users' privacy, but Australia's communications minister remarked that they would not force users to give companies their personal information. Other critics have mentioned that it could have a serious negative impact on the physical and mental health of existing child users of social media, leaving them feeling disconnected or depressed and doing more harm than good.

In addition, many people have pointed out that the system can be quickly cheated using a virtual private network, or VPN. VPNs are secure connections between a device and the internet that encrypt your data and mask your IP address, hiding users' browsing activity, location, and identity online. In fact, one study showed that over half of social media users were able to evade France's ban using a VPN.

In total, many critics supported the goal of the bill but thought that it was too rushed and would not help child users of social media. Many believe that the government should have taken more time to think through the ban and make adjustments, in addition to adding more details and specifications.

Despite all of the criticism, the ban has passed, and it will go into effect in 12 months' time. Most social media companies have promised, regardless of their disapproval of the new law, to comply with whatever rules Australia is putting into place. What will be interesting to see is whether it is effective or not, and how other countries may respond to this-- will they follow in Australia's footsteps or aim for an alternative strategy?

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Since penguins don't leave their nesting areas to feed, some species go through the entire courtship, nesting, and incubation period without food or water. For male king penguins, this period lasts for around 55 days, but for the male emperor penguin, the fast can last up to 120 days.

Quote of the Day: Reliability is the quality that leads others not just to believe you, but to believe in you. (Unknown)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Victuals (plural noun)- Victuals is a word with an old-fashioned feel that refers to food, and sometimes to both food and drink.

In a Sentence: Rachel’s grandparents’ larder was full of canned tomatoes and peaches, jars of pickled beans, jugs of dandelion wine, and other time-honored victuals.