It has been three weeks now that Australia has banned the use of social media by children under 16 years. The Australian government said the ban had become necessary in order to “keep children safe” amid rising concerns about online harms. Australia in recent times has reported a sharp rise in the number of complaints related to child exploitation, cyber-bullying and exposure to self-harm content. Keeping this in mind, the government there had, on November 28, 2024, passed a new law called the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024, which came into effect from December 10 this year. Currently, the platforms the ban applies to are YouTube, X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, Twitch, Threads and Kick. Tech companies that own these platforms could face fines of up to $50 million if they don’t take reasonable steps to stop under-16s from having accounts. Over 77% of Australians have supported the ban, a poll revealed. That increased social media use, especially by children, has become a huge menace and is now talked about across the world. The scale of the issue, in fact, is difficult to ignore. Credible reports quoting recent studies show that 97% of young people across the globe go online every day, while 78% check their devices at least once every hour. One in four minors is reported to show what researchers describe as “problematic” or “dysfunctional” smartphone use, with patterns resembling addiction. While a few more countries are considering imposing a similar ban as has been done by Australia and restricting children’s access to social media, the debate over how best to protect young users is intensifying worldwide. Proposals ranging from stricter age limits to outright bans have gained momentum, driven by growing concern over the impact of constant connectivity on children’s mental health, learning and well-being. How big is the danger of excessive use of social media on children? While experts have warned that excessive social media use can undermine concentration in the classroom and weaken real-life communication skills of young people, UNICEF has welcomed the renewed focus on online safety, but not without a caution that restrictive measures must be carefully calibrated. New data from the WHO Regional Office for Europe reveals a sharp rise in problematic social media use among adolescents, with rates increasing from 7% in 2018 to 11% in 2022. A survey covering about 2.80 lakh young people in the 11-15 age group across 44 countries and regions in Europe, Central Asia and Canada in 2022 has revealed that more than 1 in 10 adolescents (11%) showed signs of problematic social media behaviour, struggling to control their use and experiencing negative consequences. Girls reported higher levels of problematic social media use than boys (13% vs 9%). A UNICEF website, meanwhile, has noted that social media platforms are deliberately designed to hold the attention of users as long as possible, tapping into psychological biases and vulnerabilities relating to their desire for validation and fear of rejection. Too much passive use of social media – just browsing posts – can be unhealthy and has been linked to feelings of envy, inadequacy and less satisfaction in life. Studies have even suggested that it can lead to depression, anxiety and sleep deprivation.