Youth and Social Media: Is Banning Access the Solution?

Addressing concerns about the mental and physical health of young Australians, the Prime Minister has previously declared: 

• “Social media is taking children away from real-life experiences with friends and family.” 
• "Parents are worried sick." 
• "No generation has faced this challenge before.” 
• "The safety and mental and physical health of our young people is paramount.”  
• "Parents want their kids off their phones and on the footy field. So do I." (ABC News 2024) 

As issues of digital safety continue to dominate the political and social agenda, the Albanese government's proposal to ban access to social media for youth under the age of 16, has sparked a heated national conversation. The Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society examined the impact of social media on Australian society and released their second interim report ahead of the likely December bill announcement. The report made 11 recommendations to parliament, however banning under-16s from accessing social media was not one of them.  

This panel will bring together leading UTS FASS digital and social media researchers from the Technology, Media and Strategy Research Group, and students from the Digital and Social Media degree to critically examine the motivations and implications of this proposed ban. The discussion will explore how this policy might reshape the digital landscape for Australian youth, impacting their relationships with technology, their communities, and their own sense of identity. Through research-driven insights, the panel will consider broader questions of trust, health, safety, and digital governance, offering nuanced perspectives on the future of social media regulation and its potential effects on younger generations. Join us for a compelling and timely conversation about the intersections of policy, practice, and people in shaping the digital futures of Australia's youth. 

Panelists: 

• Associate Professor Amelia Johns 
• Associate Professor Heather Ford  
• Dr Suneel Jethani 
• Dr Paul Byron  
• Students Czeyden Raposas and Sohara Janaratne 

Moderated by Dr Natalie Krikowa, convenor of the Technology, Media, Strategy Research Group. 

Join us for a compelling and timely conversation about the intersections of policy, practice, and people in shaping the digital futures of Australia's youth.

This event is part of the UTS FASStival 2024 program.