If kids get protected from online harm, how about the rest of us?

The Australian government has proposed a ban on social media for all citizens under 16.

- Van Badham

Citing the success of recently introduced restrictions on mobile phones in Australian schools, the prime minister announced the ban by declaring that it's "doing harm to our kids and I'm calling time on it".

Yes, the American Psychological Association found teens with the highest social media use rate their overall mental health as poor or very poor. Yes, research from the University of Cambridge shows social media does not mitigate adolescent feelings of loneliness or isolation overall - rather, reports suggest online exposure can increase the prevalence of suicidal thoughts in the young. Cyberbullying, cyberstalking, catfishing, trolling, deepfake porn and doxing exist as concepts because social media culture has spawned them.

Even so, there are politicians and media voices critical of the proposed legislation. I am one of them. It's not because I share the politics of, perhaps, disinformation-curious fringe identities who yearn for unrestricted access to young minds. It's because I resent only under-16s being spared. I think it's in the general interest to ban social media for everybody.