The social media ban is popular with Gen Z
Despite blanket media coverage of concerned parents and angry youths, the generation that grew up with social media overwhelmingly believe there should be tighter restrictions for kids. Deloitte Australia’s national telco, media and entertainment sector lead, Peter Corbett, explains.
The news that the Federal Government will move to legislate a minimum age to access social media has gone off like a firecracker in the media. You can’t open the paper or turn on the TV without seeing a picture story featuring concerned parents, or an interview with a defiant and oppositional member of Gen Z or Gen Alpha.
Given this coverage, you might assume this is yet another example of policy where public support is divided generational lines: Tech-averse baby boomers are strongly in support while tech-savvy Millennials and Gen Zs are united in opposition.
It’s a good narrative, but lacking nuance. As part of the recently released Deloitte Media & Entertainment Consumer Insights Report, we asked more than 2,000 Australians across five generations their thoughts on social media age restrictions. The results were surprising: Gen Z is as supportive – if not more – of such restrictions as older generations.
Than it does trusting social media platforms.
Hardly surprising – the vast majority of Gen Z are over 16. Ask some Gen Alpha and see what they think!
Trusting Deloitte on this authoritarian ban is like asking Coca-Cola for advice on healthy sugar levels. hard pass.
support stricter measures – yes (tightening restrictions on explicit material, increasing protections against grooming behaviour), support an outright ban – no. I also wonder who was interviewed for the 1/3rd of youth supporting an outright ban. As a member of Gen-Z (admittedly, an adult, but Gen-Z regardless) I am yet to meet a single peer of mine believe that a blanket ban is a good idea… Perhaps Deloitte should be doing the same as the proposed legislation and checking the age of the people responding as alleged Gen-Z…