Australia is set to implement one of the world's most comprehensive social media bans for children, with explosive court documents revealing tech giants have long known their platforms are deliberately designed to be addictive for young users.
The Great Australian Social Media Shutdown
From December 10, 2025, Australian children under 16 will be completely barred from accessing major social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Reddit, Threads, Twitch, and Kick.
Social media companies face massive fines up to $49.5 million if they fail to take reasonable steps to prevent underage users from accessing their platforms. This landmark decision comes as internal company files exposed in US court battles reveal disturbing evidence that tech giants deliberately engineered features to keep children hooked.
How Tech Giants Engineered Addiction
Internal communications from major social media companies show executives were fully aware their products could create compulsive behaviour in young users. A Meta senior researcher frankly admitted in internal chats: "IG [Instagram] is a drug," while another employee added, "We're basically pushers."
According to neuroscientist Dr. Anne-Noël Samaha, social media apps trigger dopamine releases that create intense desire rather than happiness. "Dopamine makes you want things," Dr. Samaha explains. "It allows you to pursue things you assign value to because those things increase our dopamine levels - even if you might not actually like it and know it's bad for you."
Design features specifically created to maximise engagement include:
- Infinite scrolling that never provides a natural stopping point
- Autoplay features that automatically continue content
- Push notifications targeting inactive users
- Snapstreaks that encourage daily compulsive use
- Disappearing content that creates fear of missing out
Internal Evidence of Deliberate Design
TikTok's internal documents reveal the company knew its algorithm could hook users quickly, with just 35 minutes (approximately 260 videos) being enough to create addictive patterns. The company changed its push notification system to target users who had been inactive for mere hours rather than days.
Snapchat employees openly discussed addictive features in internal communications. When reviewing Snapstreaks, one employee remarked: "Wow, we should add more addicting features like this." Another noted that if streaks proved addictive, it would be "positive for healthy long term retention and engagement."
Internal data from Snap Inc shows the scale of the problem: 45% of Snapchat users aged 13-17 use the app "almost constantly."
Helping Australian Families Through Withdrawal
As Australia prepares for this massive social media shift, experts warn parents to expect significant withdrawal symptoms when children lose access to their favourite apps.
Emily Cherkin, author of The Screentime Solution, advises parents: "While it's not your fault, it's your responsibility." She warns that going "cold turkey" will likely trigger withdrawal symptoms that parents need to prepare for.
Dr. Samaha reassures families that while children may experience restlessness, irritability, and feeling "lost" without their apps, the adjustment period typically lasts weeks, not years, and causes no permanent brain damage.
Practical Strategies for Australian Parents
Experts recommend several approaches to ease the transition:
Start conversations early: Explain the ban's purpose - that social media has been shown unsafe for children.
Understand dopamine surges: Neuroscientist Kent Berridge notes that dopamine urges typically fade within 2-5 minutes if the trigger is removed from sight.
Validate feelings during meltdowns: Acknowledge the difficulty and offer support rather than punishment.
Model healthy behaviour: Be conscious of your own phone use around children to avoid hypocrisy.
Create alternative rewards: Fill the dopamine gap with real-world activities and healthy social interactions.
Help maintain social connections: Download contacts and phone numbers before the ban takes effect.
Avoid tech transfer: Prevent children from simply moving their addiction to other platforms like gaming or AI chatbots.
Professor Gaia Bernstein from Seton Hall Law School emphasises that tech companies have taken major vulnerabilities that kids especially have and created design features to exploit them. The business model of keeping users engaged as long as possible for targeted advertising is fundamentally at odds with healthy child development.
As Australia leads the world in this bold social media restriction, families across the nation are preparing for a significant shift in how children spend their time and connect with others. The December 2025 implementation date gives families and tech companies time to adjust to this new digital landscape.
