Australia Bans Social Media for Children Under 16: Should India Follow?

Increased popularity and exponential growth of social media platforms have been very evident in recent years. While platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok offer avenues for creativity and connectivity, they also undeniably put children and teenagers at grave risks including exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying, and addictive behaviors.  Australia’s House of Representatives passed a bill banning children younger than 16 years old from social media leaving it to the Senate to finalize the world-first law.

The major parties backed the bill that would make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent young children from holding accounts.

Australian lawmakers have also pointed to studies that link excessive social media use to anxiety, depression, and other psychological issues in adolescents, which have only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent increase in screen time.

It is common knowledge that India has a large population and faces various challenges that need to be addressed, regarding social media usage. The urban population has a higher digital literacy rate and parental supervision in such places is also steadier, reducing and mitigating the risks of social media to a large extent. However, since the accessibility and affordability of smartphones has increased and digital literacy remains low, the dangers of unchecked social media are escalating in rural areas 

The rise of young “social media babas” or influencers in rural India is a direct and tragic consequence of this trend. These young influencers often promote misleading or harmful content, including pseudo-scientific advice, unrealistic beauty standards, and misleading -life hacks that can have disastrous consequences. In some cases, they also exploit their followers’ naivety and gullibility for financial gain and often promote dubious products and services. Young people, in rural areas, may not have the digital literacy or critical thinking skills to question such content, leaving them vulnerable to manipulation and misinformation.

About half of India’s population consists of people under the age of 25 making it one of the countries with the youngest demographics in the world. Since smartphones and the internet have become increasingly affordable and accessible, there has been a surge of young users on social media platforms. Many such users lack the basic level of maturity and critical thinking required to responsibly use and understand the complexities of digital spaces. 

In many households, parents may not fully understand the risks associated with social media or may not be technologically savvy enough to supervise their children’s online activity. Children are free to access potentially damaging material with little intervention. This can have a lasting negative impact on their thinking, behavior, and actions. 

To address these challenges, India should consider implementing an age limit on social media access, similar to Australia’s, and take steps to ensure that children’s digital safety is prioritized. 

Digital literacy should be part of the school curriculum and teachers should be trained to deliver talks on cyber safety just like they discuss safe-unsafe touch with kids. These programs should focus on critical thinking, recognizing misinformation, and understanding the risks of online engagement.

India should also strengthen its data protection regulations to ensure that children’s personal information is not being exploited by social media platforms. By holding companies accountable for the collection and use of data, the country can help protect young users from being manipulated or targeted by advertisers.

A law preventing children under the age of 16 from accessing social media could prove to be revolutionary for the country. The policymakers need to formulate a policy that enables the establishment of a safer online environment for the youth by enacting age restrictions and promoting digital literacy, Social media presents various learning and creative opportunities, but it also has significant threats that must be controlled. India must take decisive actions to secure its future on the digital frontier, just as Australia has realized the importance of protecting its youth.

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