(NewsNation) — Australia has begun enforcing a new ban restricting all social media accounts for users under the age of 16, leaving some wondering if other countries could follow suit.
The ban went into effect on Dec. 10 to address mental health issues, cyberbullying and anxiety among kids and teens. In a post on X, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote, “This is about giving children a safer childhood and parents more peace of mind.”
Affected apps include Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, with many platforms saying they’ll abide by the Australian law and work to remove the accounts of young users, according to The Associated Press.
As the implementation gets underway, Devon Kuntzman, a parenting expert, and Tom Kersting, a psychotherapist, join “Morning in America” to discuss what a ban like this would look like in the United States.
Could the US ban youth from social media?
“Well, I’m all for it,” Kersting said. “I’m glad Australia is the poster child for this, and I hope we do something here in our country.”
“We just have so much evidence that heavy social media use is linked to anxiety, depression, sleep disruption and body image concerns, and that’s across the board,” Kuntzman countered. “It’s even harder for adolescents whose brains are still developing, that impulse control and emotional regulation.”
While there are currently no plans for a similar ban to take place in the U.S., Kuntzman said there are steps parents can take now to keep their kids safe online.
“We need to talk about online safety. We need to talk about predators,” Kuntzman said. “We need to talk about what healthy habits look like with online use, what good phone and screen hygiene looks like.”
But is there ever a time when it is okay for kids to use social media?
“I get asked that question all the time, and it’s kind of, it’s an interesting answer,” Kersting said. “When you’re comfortable with your child watching adult content, if you know what I’m talking about, and when you’re comfortable with your child being exposed to absolute violence, that’s when it’s appropriate.”
Kuntzman stresses that modeling good phone and media use at home is crucial and that parents’ behaviors set the “status quo” for the house.
“It really starts with us and moderating our own screen use, and then also focusing on things that are outside of the digital world, getting out in nature, having family time together,” she said.
Negative effects of social media
Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, under the Obama and Biden administrations, reported that data had found that adolescents who used social media more than three hours a day were at a higher risk for anxiety and depression. Kersting said getting kids and teens to interact more consistently with the world outside their phones is vital for their mental health.
“If you’re just stuck in your bedroom, which a lot of kids are, in this phone, no dialog, the brain being bombarded with, like bad fear mongering stuff, and you’re not out and about, you’re naturally going to develop, potentially develop anxiety, depression and things of that nature,” he said.
If a phone ban were to come to the U.S., Kersting said 16 or even older could work.
“If it was up to me, 18, their brains are still developing,” Kersting said. “They don’t develop until 25 years old, and their brains are no match for everything that’s being delivered to them from these devices and big tech and social media.”