The Federal Government’s proposed ban on social media is both dangerous to free speech and risks dooming a generation of Australia’s children to digital illiteracy.
It feels good to ban something; it sounds decisive. “Kids addicted to social media? No problem, it’s banned!”
Yes, there is a problem with how some children consume internet media. Many parents see their children experience the consequences of addiction, or see the harm created by constant online harassment. It is difficult for parents to control how their children interact with internet media in an environment where mobile phones are everywhere and so many of their friends seem to have unlimited access.
But such a ban has too high a cost. We must be careful that today’s easy solution isn’t tomorrow’s absolute disaster. It’s not a “social media” ban, it’s an “internet media” ban. A ban will reduce addiction and harm for some children, but it will damage the skills of far more.
A ban doesn’t solve the problem. The problem is addiction and unthinking consumption of media. The solution isn’t abstinence. It’s taking responsibility to teach children how to think.
Quantum computers vs sticks and stones: A permanent underclass of Australians
Should this ban pass, some children will have the technological savvy and means to easily evade the ban where others cannot. Some children will play with quantum computers while others will play with sticks and stones. This technology gap will create a permanent underclass of Australian children who lack the digital literacy to participate in the global economy.
From the age of 13, I was hosting an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) server. Did my parents understand what this meant? No, but before they let me on the internet they gave me a great education on the principles for how to stay safe online. As parents, they balanced safety with the freedom to create.
We owe the next generation the same opportunities to learn digital communication, content creation, and online etiquette. A ban could hinder their ability to acquire these skills, leaving them at a disadvantage in future educational and professional settings.
Lucas, founder of Glossy Boys
Lucas, a twelve-year-old ‘skater, creator and entrepreneur’, is the founder of Glossy Boys, which sells nail polish pens promoting non-gender-conforming self-expression. Without his strong social media engagement, buoyed by an appearance on Shark Tank, Lucas may never have had the opportunity to create such an inclusive community or business.
Worse, for children in rural or remote areas, banning social media means cutting their connection to peers in the wider world, starving them of the access to connections with communities of interest that their own geography may not offer.
Many educational tools and resources operate on platforms that could be classified as social media. These tools are being used in other countries to rapidly upskill their population, in lieu of access to world-class educational institutions we enjoy in the first world. By imposing a blanket ban on social media, we are voluntarily ceding access to valuable educational tools and communities. This is not a good idea in a nation already facing critical STEM shortages.
Suffocating Australia’s young entrepreneurs
The government’s proposed social media ban for children undermines our nation’s innovation ecosystem under the guise of protecting our youth. At UNSW Founders, we mentor and support hundreds of Australian startups. I’ve witnessed firsthand how policies that fail to consider second-order consequences create an environment of uncertainty – and uncertainty is poison for startups.
Annie Rogers Source: Instagram/ QWeekend
A blanket social media ban will push startups, particularly those focused on youth-oriented platforms and services, to relocate offshore. It will starve the young creator entrepreneurs of Australia, like Lucas, of access to the tools they need to grow ventures like Glossy Boys. Everyone loses. It means great inventions like My Voice, a Bluetooth speaker necklace to facilitate communication for people who are non-verbal, created by Year 11 student Annie Rogers are cut off from the growth and promotion social media provides. My Voice recently won Most Impactful Entrepreneur of the Year.
Many of the startups that would be affected by this ban are not multinational giants but small, local teams innovating in areas like education, digital literacy, and youth engagement. A good example of this is Intrapreneur of the Year, Ken from the Sydney Robotics Academy. Ken has been instrumental in teaching classes and enhancing the academy’s social media presence, inspiring students to explore innovative designs. These are the very ventures that could provide Australian children with the tools to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.
A ban of this magnitude risks limiting opportunities for young entrepreneurs who could become our next great innovators. Social media is more than entertainment; it’s a platform where young minds build confidence, showcase ideas, and grow their businesses. By restricting access, we destroy this potential, denying them the tools they need to share and develop their creative ideas. This isn’t just a personal loss for these young entrepreneurs; it’s a loss for all of us. We need policies that nurture innovation, not suffocate it.
The solution?
Fostering digital literacy and critical thinking skills in children is a far safer and more effective alternative to media bans. Teaching children how to navigate online spaces responsibly equips them to handle challenges independently, preparing them for a future where digital interactions are required for economic and social success.
Social media is no longer social, it’s evolved into the dominant way we all consume media. The triumph of short-form video content is an irreversible change to how we share information and ideas. This media is algorithmically optimised for individual preference and unless we create a society that can critically assess it then we will be trapped in echo chambers in which we unquestioningly accept.
Not only is the proposed ban a dangerous expansion of government media regulation, but it could condemn a generation of Australians to digital illiteracy.
The answer, once again, is to teach children – and let’s be honest, adults – how to think critically and assess information. This responsibility is upon us as parents and as participants in the digital economy. It won’t be resolved by a draconian ban – and the damage to our future entrepreneurs and leaders could be lasting.
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