Australia’s landmark move to ban under-16s from social media will be closely followed by other countries, which may follow suit with similar laws.
AFP spoke to teenagers and adults around the world about the Australian ban, which comes into effect on Wednesday. Here are some of their reactions:
– Mumbai: “Nothing is black or white” –
On the beach in Mumbai, India, 19-year-old Pratigya Jena scrolls with her friends through Instagram videos of an influencer posing with a camel on a beach.
Social media “should be partially banned because according to me nothing is black or white”, said the student.
“Gen Z are very active, doing very well on social media. And they do great things, especially young entrepreneurs,” said Jena.
At the same time, children watching adult content online “has a very bad effect”.
In a Mumbai park, cricket coach Pratik Bhurke, 38, said Australia’s move would encourage children to spend time outdoors and could have “huge benefits” in India as well.
– Berlin: ‘Help for detoxification’ –
In the cold German capital, Luna Drewes, 13, is watching selfie-style TikTok clips posted by other youngsters.
“It’s actually a good thing in some ways because social media often shows a certain image of how people should look, like girls should be thin,” she said of the ban.
Another young man, Enno Caro Brandes, said: “I’m 15 years old so for me the ban will definitely come into effect. I can’t really imagine giving it up completely.
“A ban is a bit extreme, but it can definitely help to detox.”
– Doha: ‘Really stupid’ –
An AI baby singing and answering interview questions are among the videos notified to Firdha Razak, aged 16, while scrolling in her room.
Razak is not in favor of a ban. “It’s really stupid, honestly,” although “there’s not much we can do as 16-year-olds” if governments decide to act, she said.
The families of many people in Qatar live abroad, so “it will be much more difficult to talk to them”.
Also in Doha, Youssef Walid, aged 16, said that bans like those of Australia were “somewhat harsh” and difficult to enforce.
“We can use a VPN. We can easily bypass security and easily make new accounts,” he said.
– Lagos: ‘We were born with it’ –
In a Nigerian high school, Mitchelle Okinedo is revising for exams, checking her handwritten notes. In the classroom — where phones are prohibited — uniformed students sit at separate desks.
“I see where the (Australian) government is coming from. Students nowadays, they are really distracted,” Okinedo said.
Even so, “they were born with it”, added the 15-year-old. “And I don’t think it’s something I want to stop.”
Her mother, 50-year-old event planner Hannah Okinedo, agrees with a ban on social media for under-16s, saying most parents “don’t have time to monitor their children all day”.
– Mexico City: ‘Express yourself’ –
The young resident of Mexico City, Aranza Gomez, aged 11, had for a year a smartphone with access to social media.
Without it, “Honestly I feel sad. I don’t really have a good way to spend my time,” she said.
Santiago Ramirez Rojas, 16, is sitting on a bench in the Tabacalera district, scrolling through posts containing news about Argentina and tour dates for a musician.
“Social media today is very important to express yourself, no matter what age you are,” said Rojas.
But “there are a lot of kidnappings that start online” and “younger children, around 10 or 12, are much more vulnerable”.
– Sydney: ‘It won’t have any impact’ –
In Australia one family has divergent ideas about how the law will go.
“I don’t think the government really knows what they are doing and I don’t think it will have any impact on the children of Australia,” said 15-year-old Layton Lewis.
But his mother Emily Lewis hopes that it will help the children “to have better and more authentic relationships”.
“They’ll make proper plans, like we were, to meet their friends face-to-face and have proper conversations as opposed to these illusive friendships online,” she said.
burs-kaf/pst