Australia has entered a new digital era for young people, with the federal social media ban for users under the age of 16 now officially enforced. Since its commencement on December 10, 2025, this landmark policy is reshaping how children and teenagers interact online, pushing families to find safe and engaging alternatives for in-home digital activity.
The Shift in Digital Behaviour for Young Australians
With popular social platforms off-limits, experts predict a significant shift in how under-16s will spend their screen time. The vacuum left by apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat is likely to be filled by a mix of other digital pursuits. These include streaming television series and movies, online gaming, connecting with friends through encrypted messaging apps, and dedicating more time to educational platforms and creative software.
This transition presents both a challenge and an opportunity for parents. The home internet connection becomes the central hub for all these activities, placing greater emphasis on having a reliable, fast, and, crucially, secure home network.
Amazon's High-Performance Solution for Modern Families
One product positioned to meet this new demand is the Amazon eero Pro 7, a high-performance Wi-Fi mesh router system. Priced at $529.99, it is designed to deliver extensive, reliable coverage capable of supporting the data-heavy needs of a modern household. Its technical specifications are impressive, offering wireless speeds up to 3.9 Gbps and wired speeds reaching 4.7 Gbps.
Perhaps more relevant for a family with multiple digitally active members is its capacity to connect up to 200 devices simultaneously. This makes it ideal for homes where several people may be streaming 4K video, engaging in online gaming, using creative suites, working remotely, or operating a suite of smart home devices—all at the same time without lag or dropouts.
Advanced Safety Features in the Post-Ban Landscape
Beyond raw speed and capacity, the eero Pro 7's most compelling feature for Australian families right now may be its advanced online safety tools, available through an optional eero Plus subscription. This suite of parental controls and security features provides a framework to manage the new online behaviours emerging from the social media ban.
The system allows parents to establish robust digital boundaries with ease. Key features include:
- Customisable content filters and category blocking.
- Individual device profiles for each family member.
- Daily time limits and scheduled internet access (e.g., for homework hours).
- The ability to pause the internet for specific devices or the entire home instantly.
- Detailed activity insights to understand online habits.
On the security front, eero Plus extends its protection with integrated threat detection, ad blocking, and includes subscriptions to 1Password for password management, Malwarebytes for antivirus protection, and a Guardian VPN. This transforms the router into a comprehensive, "set-it-and-forget-it" security system that safeguards phones, computers, and tablets both on the home network and when connected to public Wi-Fi.
As Australian families navigate this significant change in digital policy, tools that offer both performance and peace of mind are becoming essential. The combination of a high-capacity home network and intelligent parental controls provides a practical foundation for a safer, more managed online environment for young people under 16.
