Australia shares tips to wean teens off social media ahead of ban. Will it work?

"The Australian government has begun a public education campaign with tips on how to wean children off social media ahead of a world-first national 16-year age limit taking effect in December. Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said Friday that information on her agency's website, esafety.gov.au, explained the new laws and how to navigate them. Starting Dec. 10, platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube"

"Messages raising awareness will also be shared starting Sunday across digital channels, television, radio and billboards. "We want children to have childhoods. We want parents to have peace of mind and we want young people-young Australians-to have three more years to learn who they are before platforms assume who they are," Communications Minister Anika Wells told reporters, referring to the current de facto 13-year age limit for social media accounts based on U.S. privacy legislation."

"The Australian age restrictions have already proved polarizing, with some experts warning the changes will harm as well as protect children. More than 140 Australian and international academics signed an open letter to the government last year opposing a social media age limit as "too blunt an instrument to address risks effectively." Despite that warning, the laws passed with resounding support last year. The platforms had a year to figure out how to comply without foolproof technology available to verify ages."

Australia will impose a national minimum age of 16 for social media accounts starting Dec. 10, with fines up to 50 million Australian dollars for platforms that do not take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from holding accounts. The government launched a public education campaign and will run awareness messages across digital channels, television, radio and billboards. eSafety published guidance, checklists and conversation starters to help families and teens prepare for the transition. Government messaging emphasized that children should have childhoods and young people should have three more years to learn who they are before platforms assume who they are. The policy provoked debate among experts and academics.

Read at Fast Company