Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban: A Practical Guide for Parents

Reviewed against Australian Government (eSafety Commissioner) guidance, current as at October 2026. This article is general information for families, not legal or clinical advice.

On 10 December 2025, Australia became the first country in the world to apply a minimum age of 16 to mainstream social media accounts. Ten months on, many Eastern Suburbs parents are still asking the same practical questions: which apps are actually restricted, what happens to a child’s existing account, and what should families do with the time and attention the change has opened up. This guide summarises the official position and what the research says, with sources throughout.

What the law actually does

The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 amended the Online Safety Act 2021 to require age-restricted platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from holding accounts. The obligation sits with the platforms, not with children or parents: there are no penalties for young people or families. Platforms that fail to take reasonable steps face civil penalties of up to approximately $49.5 million for a body corporate (McCullough Robertson, 2025).

Which platforms are restricted, and which are not

As listed by the eSafety Commissioner when the minimum age commenced, the age-restricted platforms were: Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, Kick, X, Threads and Twitch. The list is not fixed and may expand.

Services eSafety assessed as not age-restricted include Messenger, WhatsApp, Discord, Pinterest, Roblox, Steam, Google Classroom and YouTube Kids. In practice, messaging, most gaming and education platforms remain available to under-16s. Parents should check the current list on the eSafety Commissioner’s social media age restrictions page, as assessments are updated over time.

What the research says about social media and teen mental health

The evidence is genuinely contested, and parents deserve to know that rather than a one-line verdict.

• Large analyses of adolescent data by Orben and Przybylski (2019, Nature Human Behaviour) found the association between digital technology use and wellbeing was small, accounting for a very small share of the variation in adolescent wellbeing.
• Other researchers, most prominently Jonathan Haidt in The Anxious Generation (2024), argue the timing and scale of the decline in adolescent mental health since the early 2010s points to smartphone-based childhood as a significant contributor.
• What is not contested is that youth mental ill-health is common. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that 39% of Australians aged 16 to 24 experienced a mental disorder in the previous 12 months (ABS National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2020 to 2022), and 26% reported high or very high psychological distress (AIHW, Health of Young People).

In other words, the ban is a large public policy experiment. Whatever its ultimate effect, families still carry most of the influence over how young people spend their time, and that is where the practical opportunity sits.

Practical steps for parents

1. Talk about it as a transition, not a punishment

eSafety’s guidance encourages families to discuss the change openly. For many young teens the deactivation of an account removes a social pressure they did not choose. Acknowledging what they lose (group chats, creative communities) keeps the conversation honest.

2. Expect workarounds, and keep communication open

Age assurance is imperfect, and some teens will find ways around it. The protective factor research consistently supports is a warm, communicative relationship where a young person will tell a parent when something goes wrong online.

3. Fill the gap with structured, social, screen-light activity

The strongest predictor of adolescent wellbeing in Australian survey data is connection: to friends, family, school and community (Mission Australia Youth Survey 2025). Structured out-of-school activities, sport, creative programs and youth services all provide it.

4. Know where to get support if you are worried

If your child’s mood, sleep, school attendance or friendships change noticeably and persist, speak with your GP or a youth mental health service. WAYS Wellness Centre in North Bondi provides counselling and support for young people aged 12 to 24 in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, with self-referral and family referral accepted. Visit our Wellness Centre page or call 02 9365 2500.

If a young person is in immediate danger, call 000. For urgent support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (available 24/7).

References

• eSafety Commissioner. Social media age restrictions. Australian Government. esafety.gov.au/social-media-age-restrictions
• McCullough Robertson (2025). World-first: Australia’s social media ban for children starts today. mccullough.com.au
• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Health of young people. aihw.gov.au
• Orben, A., & Przybylski, A. K. (2019). The association between adolescent well-being and digital technology use. Nature Human Behaviour, 3, 173-182.
• Haidt, J. (2024). The Anxious Generation. Penguin Press.
• Mission Australia (2025). Youth Survey 2025. missionaustralia.com.au

Need support? The WAYS Wellness Centre offers free counselling and support for young people aged 12 to 24 in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.