While Australia’s government’s desire to keep children and young people safe online is welcome, Save the Children Australia said the focus should be on mechanisms to hold social media corporations to account and on responses that would address root causes of harm.
SYDNEY, 18 November 2024- A plan by Australia’s government to ban children under 16 from using social media is unlikely to have the desired effect and could push children into more harmful online spaces, Save the Children said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the proposed legislation, which will be tabled in parliament in the coming weeks, aimed at mitigating the harm social media is inflicting on Australian children[1] although many of the details around the ban are yet to be debated.
Globally, the number of children with access to the internet is on the rise[2] and new digital technologies are constantly evolving. Although this comes with benefits, it can also leave children at an increased risk of harm.
While Australia’s government’s desire to keep children and young people safe online is welcome, Save the Children Australia said the focus should be on mechanisms to hold social media corporations to account and on responses that would address root causes of harm.
Save the Children Australia’s national delivery arm, 54 reasons, consulted with its advisory group of young people to understand their social media use and reactions to the proposed ban.
The young advisors acknowledged that while online spaces, including social media, can pose risks, a blanket ban for under-16s is unlikely to have the desired effect.
“Cutting off access to social media will not only limit people’s positive interactions, but ricochet negativity into more harmful pathways,” said a 54 reasons Young Advisor.
Dante Casanova, 22, a Save the Children Australia Youth Advisor, said a ban would take away the online resources Australian children rely on. Children will also still try to access social media and will be less likely to ask for help if they encounter issues online, Dante added.
“From speaking to children and young people, and my own experiences, I can safely say that if a social media ban is put in place for under 16s, they are still likely to access it, with less regulation and more shame around asking for help if they need it,” Dante said.
Save the Children Australia CEO Mat Tinkler said:
“As a parent, I hold the same concerns that many parents do about the potential harms that our children face online. I welcome the government's efforts to try and keep our kids safer online and drive accountability home to social media giants. But I also trust the experts and the views of children and young people themselves when they are raising serious concerns about this proposed solution.
“We are asking the government to reconsider this legislative approach and instead use the momentum of this moment to hold the social media giants to account, to demand that they embed safety into their platforms rather than adding at as an afterthought, and to work closely with experts and children and young people themselves to make online spaces safer, as opposed to off-limits.”
Save the Children, together with experts in online safety, developed a new series of tips to help parents and guardians keep their children safe online. The tips include reducing screen time, putting phones away if children are trying to speak to you, and discussing the impact of technology together with children and others in the family.
The Protecting Children from Online Grooming report also has recommendations on strengthening education, improving platform safety features, and enforcing protective legislation to keep children safe online while allowing them to benefit from digital engagement[3].
REFERENCES
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gzd62g1r3o
[2] https://www.savethechildren.net/stories/guide-online-safety-children
[3] https://www.savethechildren.net/stories/online-safety-what-adults-can-learn-children
For further enquiries please contact:
Amy Lefevre, Global Media Manager, Asia: Amy.Lefevre@savethechildren.org
Our media out-of-hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409
