Test of Self-Control: How Teenagers in Australia Coped with the Ban on Social Media

It has been a month since Australian authorities implemented a large-scale social experiment, restricting access to social networks for teenagers under 16 years old.

According to a study published by the BBC, it examined how this ban has affected the daily lives of families. The results were varied: from a sense of long-awaited freedom to attempts to circumvent the restrictions.

Fourteen-year-old Amy from Sydney shared that the first days without her usual apps were a real test of self-control for her. In her diary, she admitted that in the mornings, she instinctively reached for her smartphone. However, by the fourth day, her anxiety turned into unexpected relief. Amy noted that the greatest pressure on her was maintaining "streaks" on Snapchat—daily reports that had become mandatory for teenagers. Freed from this burden, she was able to find time for jogging, reading, and even knitting, while her screen time was cut in half.

Nevertheless, for many, the "digital diet" was not easy. Thirteen-year-old Aahil reports that his routine remained the same. He simply switched to gaming platforms like Roblox and the messaging app Discord, which were not banned. His mother noticed that her son had become more irritable. Psychologist Christina Anthony links this to a temporary "cancellation" effect, as for teenagers, social networks were not only a source of entertainment but also a way to cope with stress and boredom.

Interestingly, many teenagers quickly learned to bypass the ban. Fifteen-year-old Lulu told reporters that she created new accounts, indicating an age over 16. She noted that she started reading more, refusing to waste time on pointless scrolling under fake profiles.

Sometimes, the "silence" on social media brings unexpected benefits. Amy recalls that on the day of the tragic shooting at Bondi Beach in December, she was glad she wasn't using TikTok. While adults were immersed in a stream of violent images and negative information, she remained untouched by that stress and maintained her peace of mind.

Despite the criticism and the discovered workarounds, Australian authorities are confident in the rationale behind the experiment. Communications Minister Anika Wells emphasized that the goal of the new law is to give children three additional years to form their identities in the real world, away from the pressures of algorithms.

Official data on the results of the ban and the number of deleted accounts will be published in the coming weeks, and for now, Australia is learning to live by communicating face-to-face rather than through smartphone screens.