Austrailia banning social media for children under 16 years old

This is a great idea.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/anthony-albanese-has-a-message-for-elon-musk/ar-AA1v3Ay3?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=5327c7ec21784186b2bbd904b677c210&ei=17

I agree. I'm so glad I didn't have to deal with the screen addiction when my kids were growing up.
There is plenty of evidence now to support the fact that kids are more alienated, less socially adept, more self-critical and committing suicide at far greater rates than ever before and it can be directly linked to social media.

It shocks me when I see kids as young as 2 or 3 sitting with an ipad instead of playing or interacting with others. Some parents, like my daughters, don't allow that, but many parents these days use it like a babysitter, without any thought as to what it's doing to their kids' psyches and social skills.

I read a study that showed that 80% of teenagers they polled said they preferred texting with their friends to hanging out in person. That's just sad.

“Research shows that roughly 60% to 80% of our face-to-face communication is non-verbal language, such as the pacing, pauses, gestures and tone. All of these cues bring energy and emotional nuance to our message,” she says. People have lost the ability to communicate. I find it interesting that "the cellphone" is no longer used for a call but to text. The telegram was superseded to the the telephone for a reason...speech. However fact to face communication is best.

How could this be enforced?

That's what I want to know too, how will they enforce this?

From what I have read, they plan to enforce it by levying huge fines against social media platforms for allowing anyone under 16 open an account.

However, how the social media platforms will determine how old a member is and what kind of proof they will require and how they will verify that info is an interesting question.

Yeah, it makes a good sound bite but I don't think its enforceable. Esp in homes where the parents use an iPad as a babysitter. Might make people think though.

Well, there is more and more research being published on the negative effects of screen addiction, especially on children, so hopefully there are more parents who would be onboard.

One of the advantages of a nationwide ban is that it eliminates peer pressure and levels the playing field. It's much harder for a parent to deny their child using social media if "all the other kids are allowed!", than if no kids are allowed.

And it doesn't mean those lazy parents who use screen time as a babysitter won't be able to continue to do so. Kids can still play games online, or text with their friends, they just won't be exposed to or participate in social media platforms like Tiktok, Instagram, etc. which are damaging in terms of online bullying, reading disinformation and misinformation, ridiculous beauty norms, encountering sexual predators, life-threatening Tiktok "challenges", and kids committing suicide because they are made to feel they don't measure up in some way. 

While sitting and playing video games instead of playing, being involved in sports, theatre, music, etc., and interacting in person are definitely detrimental to a child's social skills and development, it isn't dangerous in the way social media can be.
It's those dangers that are the basis of this ban, rather than it being a ban against screen time in general.

They could enforce it with government cooperation of SIN # or DL # requirements to sign up. Or they have to scan a passport or other form of ID like some Mexican websites require (IE Mercado Libre).