Australia’s social media ban won’t stop cyberbullying

The Australian Federal government’s Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act, commonly referred to as the “social media ban”, is now in effect.

In the months leading up to the ban, there have been a lot of stories about what will actually happen once the legislation is active, and many people believe the ban will prevent cyberbullying. It won’t – because bullying is a social problem, which can’t be solved with a quick technical fix.

What is happening?

The ban requires that social media platforms take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under the age of 16 from having an account on those platforms.

The platforms definitely included in the ban are Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitch, X (née Twitter) and YouTube.

This list is dynamic and will likely change and grow over time.

Some platforms are, initially at least, definitely not subject to the ban, including Discord, GitHub, Google Classroom, LEGO Play, Messenger, Pinterest, Roblox, Steam and Steam Chat, WhatsApp and YouTube Kids.

What isn’t happening?

There are a lot of myths and misunderstandings circulating about the ban.

Some people have the impression the ban is a broad piece of legislation to prevent any online harms children and young people might encounter. It isn’t.

Rather, this legislation narrowly targets social media platforms, and can only prevent teens and young people from having an account on those platforms.

Despite recent concerns raised about the gaming platform Roblox, for example, it is not subject to the ban as its primary purpose is gaming, not social media.

Similarly, while teens may not be able to have accounts on these platforms, they may still be able to access content on many of them.

On YouTube, for example, under-16s can still watch public YouTube videos. They just can’t subscribe to channels, like videos or leave comments.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying – or bullying that extends into online spaces and platforms – is a significant issue for young Australians.

A 2021 report found that more than one third of Australian young people had experienced bullying online within a six month period.

Many teens, parents and trusted adults hope the ban will prevent cyberbullying.

Some of the most recognisable faces and loudest voices promoting the ban are bereaved parents who believe their children were cyberbullied to the point of suicide.

That is incredibly tragic, and any parent in that situation would understandably be pushing for change so no one else has that awful experience.

Unfortunately, the social media ban will not stop cyberbullying.

In fact, it may not reduce cyberbullying significantly at all.

While under-16s won’t have Snapchat and Instagram accounts, they will still have access to messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Messenger, Discord and others.

It would be naive to believe that bullying activity will not simply shift from one platform to another.

The shift might make cyberbullying worse in some ways, as bullying on more closed messaging platforms may be less visible to others.

Bullying is never (just) a technology problem

It can be reassuring to think of bullying as somehow just a social media or online problem.

While cyberbullying extends the abuse of bullying into homes and bedrooms, platforms don’t actually bully. People do. And often those people are peers, colleagues and classmates, and much less often strangers.

In some ways the term cyberbullying itself is unhelpful. It puts focus on the “cyber” component, when the bullying is actually the problem.

Bullying is widespread in Australian schools and well beyond.

Dealing with cyberbullying

If you or a young person you know is facing cyberbullying, there is plenty of guidance available.

Youth mental health service Reachout offers very clear advice for young Australians on how to deal with cyberbullying.

Strategies include slowing down before young people respond to bullying content, taking the space to calm down before doing anything, keeping screenshots and evidence, trying not to check for new messages or content too often, and blocking or reporting those doing the bullying.

For parents and trusted adults supporting young people dealing with bullying, the eSafety Commissioner’s website also provides clear, actionable advice.

Indeed, having the support of at least one trusted adult is a key part in helping young people navigate and cope with experiences of cyberbullying.

The social media ban is a fairly blunt tool, and does not have the complexity needed to directly address or necessarily even reduce cyberbullying.

However, if the ban allows Australian families to continue, or even begin, conversations about young people’s experiences online, then that’s of real value to young Australians.

For parents and trusted adults, keeping that conversation going is vital. An open door to a trusted adult is key to supporting young people, no matter what they experience online.

For under-16s, they should keep in mind that they have not broken the law if they get around the ban. The onus is entirely on platforms to prevent under 16s having accounts.

No magic button

Under-16s, their parents, and their trusted adults, should feel perfectly able and safe to have full and frank conversations about any online experiences, including on social media platforms.

There is no quick fix, no magic button that will stop cyberbullying. The social media ban certainly won’t do it – and it shouldn’t give young people or adults a false sense of security.

For young Australians, having access to trusted adults is vital to reducing online bullying, building resilience, and shifting the culture.

In situations where trusted adults are not available, young people should remember organisations like ReachOut, Headspace and the Kids Helpline (1800 551 800) are there to provide support, too.