Children under 16 will be restricted from accessing social media from December 10 under new Australian laws. The ban, which targets platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, has raised concerns about isolation among boarding school students who rely on these services to stay in touch with family.
Cleo Waike, a 14-year-old boarder at Townsville Grammar School in north Queensland, uses TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram to communicate with her family in Papua New Guinea. She does not know any of their phone numbers. “I feel like there’s going to be a loss of communication between each other,” she said.
Richard Stokes, chief executive of the Australian Boarding Schools Association, said families must provide extra support to children at risk of isolation. “That’s a real issue of concern for us, to make sure kids don’t become isolated, particularly if they’re a long way from their school,” he said.
Not all students oppose the ban. Dane Olsen, a 15-year-old boarder from Melbourne, said it could help people connect in person and focus on academics. However, he believes access should be left to parents, not the government. “I just think it should be up to the parents, more than a blanket rule imposed on everyone,” he said.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said the onus is on social media platforms to comply, not parents. The eSafety Commissioner will oversee the laws, with fines of up to $50 million for non-compliance. Some platforms like Messenger, WhatsApp, and YouTube Kids will remain accessible to under-16s.
