Australia’s historic move to ban under-16s from social media will be closely watched by other countries, which may follow suit with similar laws.
AFP spoke to teenagers and adults around the world about Australia’s ban, which comes on Wednesday. Here are some of their responses:
– Mumbai: ‘Nothing is black or white’ –
On the beach in Mumbai, India, 19-year-old Pratigya Jenna scrolls through Instagram videos with her friends, Influencers and Camels on the Beach.
Social media “should be partially banned because according to me nothing is black or white”, the student said.
“Gen Z is very active, they’re doing really well on social media. And doing great things, especially young entrepreneurs,” Jenna said.
At the same time, children watching adult content online has a “very bad effect”.
At a park in Mumbai, cricket coach Prateek Bhurke, 38, said Australia’s move would encourage children to spend time outdoors and could have a “huge benefit” in India as well.
– Berlin: ‘Help to detox’ –
In the chilly German capital, 13-year-old Luna Drewes watches selfie-style TikTok clips posted by other youngsters.
“It’s actually a good thing in some ways because social media often paints a certain image of what people should look like, like girls should be thin,” she said of the ban.
Another teenager, Enno Caro Brandes, said: “I’m 15 so the ban will definitely apply to me. I can’t imagine giving it up completely.
“The restriction is a bit extreme, but it can definitely help detox.”
– Doha: ‘Really stupid’ –
One of the videos featured 16-year-old Firda Razak, who scrolls through her room as an AI child sings and answers interview questions.
Razak is not in favor of the ban. “It’s really stupid, honestly,” although “there’s not much we can do as 16-year-olds” if the government decides to act, she said.
Many people in Qatar have families living abroad, so “it will be very difficult to talk to them”.
Also in Doha, 16-year-old Yousef Walid said the ban, similar to Australia’s, was “a bit harsh” and difficult to enforce.
“We can use a VPN. We can bypass security easily and create new accounts easily,” he said.
– Lagos: ‘We were born with it’ –
At a Nigerian high school, Mitchell Okinedo is revising for an exam, checking his handwritten notes. In the classroom — where phones are banned — students in uniform sit at separate desks.
“I see where the (Australian) government is coming from. The students these days, they’re really upset,” Okinedo said.
Still, “we 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 social media bans for under-16s, saying most parents “don’t have time to monitor their kids all day”.
– Mexico City: ‘Express Yourself’ –
Aranza Gomez, an 11-year-old from Mexico City, has had a smartphone with access to social media for a year.
Without it, “I honestly feel sad. I wouldn’t have a good way to spend my time,” she said.
Santiago Ramirez Rojas, 16, sits on a bench in the Tabacalera district, scrolling through posts with news about Argentina and tour dates for the musician.
Rojas said, ‘Today, social media is very important to express yourself, no matter what age you are.
But “there are a lot of kidnappings that start online” and “young children, around 10 or 12, are very vulnerable”.
– Sydney: ‘No impact’ –
One family in Australia has different ideas about how the law should work.
“I don’t think the government really knows what they’re doing and I don’t think it has any impact on Australian kids,” said 15-year-old Layton Lewis.
But her mother Emily Lewis hopes it will help the children build “better and more authentic relationships”.
“They will make proper plans, like we did before, to meet up with their friends face-to-face and have proper conversations as opposed to illusory friendships online,” she said.
burs-kaf/pst
