Opinion: Social media bans are passing around the world. How will we know if they help teens? — SkimNews
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- Australia became the first country to ban social media for under-16s in December 2025, with Indonesia quickly following; the EU is taking a different tack, banning under-13s and personal accounts for under-15s after pressure from member states.
- Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion to resolve U.S. claims that Facebook and Instagram harmed children, and will introduce "safety by design" features including concealing post "likes."
- A BMJ evaluation found little evidence of substantial reductions in social media use three months after Australia's ban, while Australia's online watchdog reported over 80% of children were still using restricted platforms.
- Behavioral economist Leonardo Bursztyn and colleagues found teenagers believed peers remained on restricted platforms and said they'd be more willing to stop if more peers stopped, highlighting peer influence as a global factor.
- The UK is planning a social media ban for spring 2027, and Wellcome will fund evaluations working with tens of thousands of teenagers, guided by young people with lived experience.
- Young people consulted by Wellcome reframed the research question, asking scientists to evaluate changes in their lives — friendships, sleep, hobbies, what replaces social media — rather than simply screen-time reductions.
Why it matters: Three months into Australia's ban, an Australian watchdog found 80%+ of teens still accessed restricted platforms. With the UK planning similar restrictions for spring 2027 and the EU targeting under-15s, the article argues evaluations must track what replaces social media in teens' lives — friends, sleep, hobbies — not just screen time.
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