The main topic of conversation in playgrounds and schoolyards lately is the social media ban and how to get around it.

The ban starts today, Wednesday 10 December 2025, and prohibits Australian children under the age of 16 from accessing most social media.

They won’t be able to keep or create accounts on apps like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, X (previously Twitter), Facebook and more.

A13-year-old Coonamble students talked to her peers and prepared this report.

The ban isn’t designed to punish young people or their families, but to help reduce cyberbullying and exposure to disturbing content, online ‘grooming’ or abuse and other harms.

Social media companies must prove that they are taking reasonable steps stop people that are under 16 years of age from having accounts, or the companies could face serious fines, up to $50 million.

This new law has been introduced to keep kids safe online, but UNICEF Australia (United Nations Children's Fund Australia) believes the real fix should be improving social media safety, not just delaying access.

Parliament House expects the ban to lower crime rates, improve mental health and reduce bullying, but that is not the opinion of the young people it will affect.

One local teenage app user says she thinks it ‘will increase physical and verbal bullying’.

The eSafety Commissioner surveyed 3,454 Australian children aged 10 to 17 years, about their experiences on social media, including cyberbullying.

The results of that survey show that more than half of those children, have been cyberbullied at one point, around 53%, with 38% experiencing it in the last 12 months. Trans and gender diverse people are more likely to be cyberbullied, with 81% in total, 69% in the last 12 months.

It has also been shown that online bullying is more prevalent among girls with 56% of those surveyed having had issues online, 40 % in the last 12 months in comparison to 50% of boys and 35% in the last 12 months.

The social media minimum age bill was introduced into parliament in November 2024, becoming an Act a month later.

Consumer research and its preliminary findings continued through early 2025. According to the answers from the survey, many people believe the minimum age for access to social media should be 13.

Several members of the younger Coonamble community were asked how they thought the ban would affect them.

Ten-year-olds will be subject to the ban. [IMAGE: Coonamble Times]

"I think it’s really stupid because some people use it to support their mental health,” said one 12-year-old.

"Many kids used it to communicate with friends from overseas, that had similar interests."

She was then asked what she will do after the ban comes into place.

"I will probably use my mum’s face on the age check with the camera,” she said.

“I believe the ban will affect kids’ mental health and the increasing crime rates,” said a 14-year-old.

"People rely on social media, so without it, they will have nothing, they won’t be able to watch reels, post videos and contact friends, which will make them feel alone and bored.

“So they will also be angry, so they will take it out by committing crimes.

"I will ask my mum to help, or even try to hack the ban.”

A 10-year-old said, “They won’t be able to snap each other and call, they also won’t be able to watch things like TikTok, Instagram or YouTube unless they use their parents’ login.”

Three different petitions were made available on the Parliament house website with one to remove the ban, which received 21,901 signatures, another to lower the age of the social media ban to 13, receiving 44,054 signatures, and one to redesign the ban, which received 1,613 signatures.

There is no data available on the average age of participation for these petitions, but it is assumed that they would be from as young as 11.

The opinion of some local parents interviewed is that while they agree with reducing access to social media, they also think it is the decision of the parent and how they manage their child’s use of social media.

“I know my child, I have controls in place that my child has agreed to use Tik Tok and Facebook,” one parent said.

“These include access to passwords which aren’t to be changed without permission and random phone inspections to check what’s being accessed.

“You can’t assume that all kids under 16 have the same level of maturity and cognitive development.”

So, will the social the media ban ruin teenage lives?

We shall see what happens from today.