Australia is enacting a social media ban for kids under the age of 16 this month. While some adults believe the ban will be amazing for kids’ mental health and privacy, other experts think it’s unfair to leave young people without access to news, global events, and other important information. Leo Puglisi, a chief anchor and managing director in Australia, recently wrote about how it’s integral for young people to not be left behind when it comes to global events and news.
Australia will be enacting a social media ban for kids under the age of 16 this month. While it seems like the pros of this legislation outweigh the cons, some believe that kids deserve, and have the right to, access to information regarding the news, politics, global events, and more.
Leo Puglisi is the chief anchor and managing director at 6 News Australia, who recently wrote for the Guardian about the impact this ban will have on teenagers. He discussed how it hasn’t even been a point in the conversation surrounding this new legislation, and instead the focus has more so been placed on privacy concerns.
“The overlooked negative impact a ban can have on many teens and the lack of parental exemptions are just some of the issues that have been raised since this idea was first floated last year,” Puglisi wrote.
The ban is set to go into effect on December 10th.
“In a constantly evolving world, where people of all ages and backgrounds are going online to stay informed, ensuring that young people are not left behind is crucial.”
Puglisi made the argument that simply telling kids to engage with the news on television or telling them to read a physical newspaper is not a feasible solution, after all, these kids have already been raised in a digital age where technology is almost second nature.
These days, many people of all ages turn to social media to get their news due to the speed in which the information is posted and shared. While this also contributes to the epidemic of fake news being spread for truth, it makes information the most accessible it’s ever been.
“Is the ideal form of news consumption short-form videos? Probably not, and it’s definitely not perfect in an age of misinformation and disinformation, especially with the rapid rise of AI-generated content. But in 2025, this is the reality of how so many young people find out the biggest stories of our time,” Puglisi argued.
Especially in the global political sphere we’re all currently living in, young people who don’t have a say in who gets placed in office due to their age should still be given the opportunity to learn about what’s truly going on.
“I think back to when I first properly used social media as a teenager (my parents would supervise my account during the earliest years of 6 News). Australian politics has always been one of my strongest personal interests and the ability to speak with other young people about it has allowed me to gain some incredible friendships and connections.
This has also allowed me to learn from those with much more experience in this area, something I’m really grateful for.”
“I’m under no illusion that most young people want to consume politics on a daily basis, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be given opportunities to find out more while using their preferred platforms.”
“It’s critical for young people to stay informed about local politics. For better or worse, this often starts with social media,” Puglisi stated.
With the way technology currently stands and is intertwined in young people’s lives, it’s important to look at the impact having access to social media has on the way information spreads.
Puglisi wrote that not only in Australia, but around the world, gen Z voters are targeted more than ever when it comes to federal elections due to social media’s presence in our lives.
“Young people should be able to engage in issues that matter to them most online in a safe and meaningful way, instead of being cut off from the platforms that deliver this information.”
In Australia specifically, Puglisi explained that there’s another reason that this ban for under-16-year-olds could become especially problematic in the future of politics.
“At the same time that this ban comes into force, there are discussions happening in Australia about lowering the voting age to 16, which I support being trialed. Imagine a situation in which a teenager is banned from having a YouTube account one day, to being able to vote the next.
Social media is far from perfect, but young people deserve the ability to access news on the platforms they use – not blanket restrictions,” Puglisi concluded.
To read more about Leo Puglisi’s thoughts on Australia’s social media ban for kids under the age of 16, click here!
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
