Australia's world-first social media ban is a 'natural experiment' for scientists

"This week, Australia became the first country to ban children aged under 16 from using most social media platforms. Many teenagers in the country are furious about the policy, but for social scientists, it offers a natural experiment to study the effects of social media restrictions on young people. Technology companies have had a year to come up with ways to stop teens using their platforms, including Facebook, X, Reddit, YouTube, Threads and Snapchat."

"Other countries including France, Denmark and Spain have introduced social media restrictions for young people, or announced plans to, but no policy is as far reaching as Australia's. The government there says social media is harming young people's mental health, causing teens to lose sleep because of addictive design features, and exposing them to harmful content. Researchers say the evidence that social media causes harm is mixed."

Australia implemented a ban preventing children under 16 from using most social media platforms, with companies required to take reasonable steps to block accounts or face fines up to Aus$49.5 million. Technology firms had a year to develop age-verification and enforcement measures for platforms including Facebook, X, Reddit, YouTube, Threads and Snapchat. Several European countries have introduced or proposed youth restrictions, but Australia’s policy is uniquely broad. The government cites harms to young people’s mental health, sleep disruption from addictive design, and exposure to harmful content. Evidence of causal harm is mixed, and researchers are initiating longitudinal studies to measure effects.

Read at Nature