Social media use on the rise among Australian under-16s after ban: data

Australian children aged under 16 are using social media more despite a ban, according to data from parental control software company Qustodio. Australia's ban on social media for children came into effect in December, following similar legislation in the UK and France. Initially, social media use among young people dropped after the restrictions were introduced, but it has since climbed back up, nearing pre-ban levels for some apps.

Among 10-12 year olds and 13-15 year olds, apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat saw an increase in usage. For TikTok specifically, 25.9% of 13-15 year-olds were still using the app, just slightly below pre-ban levels. Similarly, 10-12 year olds were only 0.06 percentage points below their usage before the ban. Experts suggest children may be accessing these platforms using VPNs or by misrepresenting their ages.

Another possibility is that the restrictions simply aren't effective in deterring usage. Additionally, children are increasingly turning to WhatsApp, which isn't affected by the ban. The data was gathered by analyzing anonymized monthly social media app usage among Australian children. Australian officials claim the ban aims to protect kids from online bullying and predatory algorithms.

However, a peer-reviewed study from Australian researchers published in June found little evidence to suggest teenagers have indeed turned away from social media as a result. Meanwhile, New Zealand's government announced it would introduce legislation that could see companies like Meta fined up to 10% of their global revenue for non-compliance.