The Daily Telegraph
Adella Beaini January 10, 2026 – 5:00AM
It’s been one month since millions of Australians under 16 logged off social media, and families are already grappling with new rules and workarounds.
But alongside the challenges, unexpected relief has emerged.
While early issues like uneven enforcement have raised concerns, psychologists, counsellors, legal experts, and digital safety advocates caution against judging the reform too soon, noting it was designed to evolve rather than deliver instant results.
Introduced on December 10, following News Corp’s Let Them Be Kids campaign, the ban made it illegal for children under 16 to hold or create accounts on major social media platforms, shifting enforcement responsibility onto technology companies rather than parents or young people.
Platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and X must take “reasonable steps” to block underage users or face penalties of up to $49.5 million.
EARLY DISRUPTION EXPECTED
Lead child and adolescent psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg said the scale of the reform meant challenges were inevitable, with families experiencing a mix of relief and frustration as they adjusted.
“Some parents feel a genuine sense of breathing space. Fewer late-night arguments, less pressure to negotiate screen time, and a sense that the home has regained a little calm,” Dr Carr-Gregg said. “This isn’t about punishing kids or turning back the clock. It’s about giving developing brains a circuit breaker and helping families rediscover connection beyond the screen.”
University of Sydney Post-Doctoral Research Associate in Digital Communication Dr Timothy Koskie, who is also a parent of children under 16, said the absence of serious harm was itself a strong early indicator.
“As a policy, the worst outcome would be a spiralling hazard, where an approach has caused a problem and that problem grows quite rapidly over time,” Dr Koskie said.
“That’s not appearing as yet, so that is a win for this policy so far and it’s going to make it attractive for other countries to take the same approach.”
Dr Koskie said the ban has empowered families to set boundaries while also teaching children healthy digital habits.
“Research is pretty firm that just telling the kids ‘don’t do this anymore’ is going to have pretty limited effectiveness,” he said.
“Parents developing healthy habits themselves, limiting their own digital use, is going to give the kids something to mirror.”
ENFORCEMENT CONCERNS
Father-of-five Dany Elachi, co-founder of The Heads Up Alliance, said while some families are seeing real benefits from the ban, social media platforms are failing to comply fully.
“Families are reporting more swimming, more play, more engagement and more fun than ever before,” he said.
“However, the platforms are doing an abysmal job of complying with the law, which means these stories aren’t as widespread as they should be.
“I would encourage parents not to rely on social media platforms to do the right thing. They have a solid track record of prioritising their profits over the wellbeing of children.
“Most of these platforms have had over 12 months’ notice of this law and it’s time for meaningful penalties, not another grace period.”
ROBOLOX GAMING PLATFORM UNDER SCRUTINY
Counsellor and Happy Souls Kids founder Jacintha Field, whose son is under 16 and has been vocal about the dangers of Roblox, said the focus now needed to shift to platforms posing the greatest risk.
The gaming platform, used by millions under 16, isn’t banned, and although it has age‑verification and chat filters, experts warn its open social features still pose risks for younger children.
“Roblox is where the stakes feel most urgent. It offers open interaction, gaming, and chat features, and is deeply embedded in kids’ daily lives,” Ms Field said.
“Families need practical support, staged implementation, and targeted regulation that addresses the most dangerous platforms and features, rather than pushing kids into hidden access routes where supervision becomes harder.”
Australia’s eSafety Commission acknowledged that some under-16 accounts remain active and said early bypassing was expected during rollout.
The commission also said that the list of age-restricted platforms isn’t fixed and may be updated as new services emerge or existing ones change.
“Cases of teenage creativity, circumvention, spoofing, or the other ingenious ways young people will inevitably push boundaries, will likely continue to be a feature of the early implementation phase as the platforms’ systems and processes evolve and improve,” a spokesperson said.
THE LAW AND KEEPING KIDS SAFE
Family lawyer and digital wellbeing advocate Sandrine Alexandre-Hughes, mother of three under-13s, said the reform has allowed parents a chance to guide kids safely.
“It’s obviously challenging for parents to ‘take back’ what they already gave to their kids,” she said.
“But when you pause and think about it, it is true of anything isn’t it? So this challenge is not fundamentally unique to the ban.
“It is an opportunity to tell your kids ‘Listen, we did not realise it at the time but in hindsight, and with more information, we now know socials aren’t good for kids for such and such reasons.”
Ms Alexandre-Hughes said the ban has put children’s safety first.
“Letting kids on socials is like dropping them off in the middle of a city and wishing them good luck as to who they meet and the decisions they’ll take on their own,” she said.
“Kids also have a right to be safe, and given the current design and state of socials, the ban was necessary to ensure kids’ rights to safety, both physical and emotional.
“A crucial question to ask ourselves as a society is how we can encourage our youth to have a more balanced approach to the online/ offline worlds.”
FAMILIES FILLING THE GAP OFFLINE
Early evidence suggests families are already finding offline alternatives.
Nielsen BookScan data shows Australian book sales rose 3.1 per cent in 2025, with foot traffic and purchases of children’s books, puzzles, and games spiking immediately after the ban came into effect.
“On the day the ban came into effect, we recorded a 24 per cent uplift in foot traffic, and across December we saw strong growth in categories that support offline play and learning,” QBD Books chief executive Nick Croydon said.
“During the Christmas period, puzzle sales were up nearly 30 per cent year on year, and children’s books grew by almost 18 per cent compared to December 2024.”
INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Australia’s approach is already shaping policy debate overseas.
France has signalled plans to ban under-15s from social media and expand mobile phone restrictions in schools, while the UK and countries including Denmark, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Germany are considering similar age limits.
Experts say the first month was always about adjustment, but abandoning the ban is not an option.
Early signs show Australia’s social media reform is already sparking a vital reset in childhood, safety, and digital wellbeing – a shift that could shape the way a generation grows up online.
