Social media use on the rise among Australian under-16s despite ban

Australian under-16s are increasingly using social media apps despite a ban. According to data from parental control app Qustodio, the use of TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat among 10-12 year olds and 13-15 year olds is on the rise.

The ban, implemented in December, initially led to a decrease in social media activity among youngsters. However, usage has since climbed and is approaching pre-ban levels for some apps. Specifically, 25.9 percent of 13-15 year olds are still using TikTok, which is just over a percentage point lower than before the ban. Among 10-12 year olds, TikTok usage is only 0.06 percentage points below pre-ban levels, according to Qustodio.

Children may be accessing these platforms using VPNs or by hiding their ages. Alternatively, they may simply be finding ways to circumvent the restrictions. Additionally, Qustodio's data shows that children are increasingly turning to messaging platform WhatsApp, which is not affected by the ban.

Brief written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia, Hindustan Times - World News — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.