Listen to the kids, Albo – Social media isn’t the problem, it’s cyberbullying
Much has been said about the social media ban. Here, 16-year-old Chris McIntyre addresses whether the ban is the right way to go in order to combat the issues associated with social media and how it could further negatively impact youth wellbeing.
The Australian Government has implemented the use of a social media ban in attempts to rectify and improve youth social and mental wellbeing.
My question to the government is will this ban really be the best way to improve and maintain youth wellbeing?
While Albanese has explained the thoughtful intent behind the bill, it could be argued that it is also being used to gain support from parents in attempts to lift his approval ratings ahead of a nearing election. This comes after reports last month that Albanese’s approval ratings fell to -14%, the lowest since becoming prime minister.
As a teenager myself, I think many other youth would agree that the social media conversation has become boring and repetitive. With every ‘new’ conversation there is about social media and the cost it has had on teen mental health, and even lives, nothing revolutionary has been shared or said that will make us change our perception of social media. To put this into perspective for adults, imagine the statistics of mental health illnesses that have stemmed from your social media being told to you over and over, not only by your parents or other members of your family, but also by teachers at school.
The impact lessens after a while and could lead to ignorance by many teenagers.
While I am not arguing that there should not be restrictions put on social media apps and sites, the ban could ultimately change nothing or cause further damage to youth wellbeing.
I will admit social media has had a devastating impact on many youth. The fact that something that appears on someone’s screen can not only lead to their mental health’s decline, but also cost them their life, is horrifying.
However, social media is something that as a society we have to accept will not go away. While it may evolve over time, along with many other technologies, the fact is that social media is here to stay. It is not something we can get rid of completely because we have already relied on it heavily – not only for photo dumps, but for worldwide communication and promotion. Banning it could cause further destruction. The government needs to recognise this and also acknowledge that cyberbullying is one of the main problems of social media, not just social media itself.
I for one have not always had the strongest relationship with social media, which I think almost everyone can agree with. This is not to say that social media is a villain. There are times when it does feel good to be on social media – to be connecting with the people you know, to be doing the most popular dance trend with your friends and getting nice comments underneath your most recent photo dump. But there are other times which, I will admit, you feel like you want to throw your phone at the wall. However, erasing it for an entire generation is not going to improve any 16-year-old’s relationship with social media.
I am not particularly worried about the 13-16 year-old’s who may have to delete their accounts for a few years and then get back onto social media because they already know what they are in for and what to expect. Instead I am worried for the group of children who are not yet at that age where they have been exposed to social media apart from YouTube.
Think of it this way.
Right now, it’s like the government is putting this generation all in a pool and keeping them in the shallow end where it is safe and there is no danger. Then when they turn 16, they will be chucked into the deep end without knowing how to swim. What happens then? They drown.
It’s grim but ultimately true.
Instead of banning it for children under the age of 16, kids who decide to download or use accounts on social media under this age should have restrictions on social media. For example, there are some social media platforms which ban users from having a public account until they are 16 and over such as TikTok and Instagram.
While this is a good strategy, there should also be limits to what children under the age of 16 can see and access when they are on these apps. Seminars, lectures, and classes on how to deal with social media could also be implemented into school. Because the truth is not even some adults know how to deal with their own relationship with social media.
While these are not perfect solutions or alternatives they are ideas that would benefit the youth of our society rather than a ban.
Because what happens when they are 16? What happens when some teenagers may be so alarmed by what they see that it could negatively impact their mental health further than if they had these platforms before but with restrictions?
It could cause further damage than the government would expect and I urge not only Albanese, but the rest of his government, to carefully consider not only the impact this could have but alternative solutions that would better benefit youth wellbeing.
As for his comment on how he wants to see more kids doing social sports and getting out onto the sports field: what’s your message for those who are not interested in sports or who find it hard to socialise outside of school or home? Not only do many kids not enjoy sport, but many sports programs require a cost and travel from parents which may not be an option for many.
Also, Mr Prime Minister, you’ve seemed to ignore that many kids do not participate in social sports activities additionally because of the bullying that occurs.
And if you are so passionate about the issue of cyberbullying, where are further restrictions to stop cyberbullying or cancelling trolling accounts? Because as a social media user I will admit many platforms are awful at combating the issue or dealing with reported accounts of cyberbullying. Furthermore, the process of even trying to report an account is gruelling and demoralising for some.
Such as an international example with American singer, Madison Beer, who discussed how social media platforms were not aware of her worsening situation when intimate images of her were leaked as a teenager, despite a report that had been filed against an account who had been spreading and distributing them.
Social media platforms should nonetheless be aware if inappropriate or harmful content is being spread on their platforms and should implement further restrictions to stop the spread of cyberbullying.
This should be an issue the government should pick with social media platforms instead of issuing a fine if they don’t comply with age verification systems.
It seems like a waste when you aren’t combating the real issue of social media instead of trying to combat social media as a whole.
Not only as a country or government, our world’s society needs to combat this issue of social media with intelligence and solutions that will allow the youth and the world to maintain healthy relationships with social media. While this relationship will not be perfect it could hopefully be improved.
However, coming from a current 16-year-old, the ban is not the way to go and while as of last night it has been passed I urge the government to revisit their decision.
Chris McIntyre is a work experience student.
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