The wailing sound you may hear emanating from the southern hemisphere is the collective angst of Australian youth who lose access to TikTok and its peers this week, when their country enacts the world’s first social media ban for persons under 16. The new regulation comes as many countries grapple with how to reduce adolescents’ exposure to addictive algorithms and harmful content online which, in some cases, has led to bullying, criminal behavior and even suicide.
But social media experts are split on whether prohibiting social media is the answer.
“To be very clear, I think that reducing children’s exposure to social media and the amount of time they spend on it is a good thing, and I think that using legislation and policy as a lever to achieve this is also a good thing,” said Rachel Rodgers, associate professor of psychology at Northeastern University. “But I think a ban is unhelpful.” Rodgers, who studies socio-cultural influences on body image and eating concerns, said that the ban could make social media more attractive to teens.
What bothers me most is the missed opportunity for passing legislation that would really have put Big Tech companies in the position of making drastic changes,” Rodgers said.
