Opinions divided over Australia's social media ban move

The impact of social media on the well-being and mental health of children has been thoroughly documented for more than a decade.

Research has shown that excessive use of social media by children has led to increases in anxiety, depression, self-harm, and loss of self-esteem.

The Australian government is pushing ahead with legislation that will ban all children under the age of 16 from social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and X — even with parental consent.