Teens in Remote Australia Fear Social Media Ban Will Deepen Their Isolation

As Australia's social media ban for children under 16 approaches, teenagers in remote and rural communities are voicing concerns about increased isolation and loss of vital connections.

From December 10, popular platforms like Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, Kick, X, and Twitch will be off-limits to kids under 16. For those in areas where peers are scarce, this ban threatens to make socializing even more challenging.

Remote Teens Speak Out

Frankie Andrews, a 13-year-old state swimming champion from Swifts Creek in Victoria's High Country, acknowledges the ban's intent but worries about practical impacts. "I think [the ban] is a good idea... but maybe the age should be a bit lower," she says. "It's going to be bad not being able to contact friends as easily."

Frankie predicts resistance: "I reckon there'll be a lot of people arguing against it... but people are going to find their way around it eventually."

Maintaining Family and Creative Bonds

Sabrina Glibanovic, 13, from Yallourn in Gippsland, uses social media to stay connected with her mother's family in Vietnam and find inspiration for her artwork. "I don't think they fully understand how we use it and how young people use it to connect with the world," she says.

Sabrina relies on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok for artistic inspiration: "I just struggle a bit with creativity... they like having the inspiration there, so they can have ideas help them fuel their mind."

Sabrina Glibanovic (back left) uses social media to speak with her family in Vietnam. (Supplied: Sabrina Glibanovic)

The Isolation Impact

With school holidays approaching, Sabrina fears the ban will cut off her social lifeline. "It's going to cut off all my contact with my family from Vietnam," she says. "I won't be able to communicate as well with my friends and have that connection through like videos and things."

She also highlights the educational value of social media: "On social media you can learn a lot about how the world works and other worldly problems... I feel like it's a more fun way of learning than just actually researching."

Doubts About Effectiveness

The federal government is requiring social media companies to enforce the ban using methods like ID uploads, AI facial scanning, and usage analysis. However, La Trobe University professor Daswin De Silva questions its practicality.

"One thing that's clear is that this ban has made kids more innovative and creative thinking outside the box," he says. "There's been many different methods shared on social platform using a $20 Halloween mask to bypass the facial recognition or a lot of kids moving to new apps that aren't in the ban."

Daswin De Silva says the social media ban is unlikely to stop kids. (Supplied: La Trobe University)

Professor De Silva warns of a "whack-a-mole" approach, where children simply migrate to new platforms as existing ones are restricted.