Bennett Gale (age 10)

In this piece, I will be reflecting on the proposed social media ban for under 16 year olds in Australia. I know that everyone has different views on this subject: I have researched both sides of the argument and this is what I have found.

Some parents are in support of this ban because studies have shown that the more time children spend on social media, the worse their mental health becomes. Also, social media allows bullying to be carried on 24/7. University professors are reporting that their best students can no longer focus long enough to read full books or understand big ideas. Lots of people think that social media is the cause of this lack of concentration. Finally, children are accessing inappropriate content online which some people think is harmful to developing brains.

However, some adults don’t support the ban because they think it should be a parent’s decision to choose whether their kids should be allowed to use social media. Lots of parents say that their children use social media for their learning, because they are not able to attend school. They do not want this ban because social media gives them expert insight into a wide range of topics.

In my opinion, it should not be a parent’s job to decide whether their kids use social media, because this is what we are doing already, and it is not working. Kids who are always on their phone are missing out on time spent outside, real-life socialising, physical activity, the joy of a good book, and they are losing the skills they need to survive in the real world. To conclude, I am in support of this ban and hope that it becomes the law.

For further information, just check social media.

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