Over 80% of Australian Students Bypass Social Media Ban Three Months In, Study Finds

Three months after Australia introduced a landmark ban on social media for minors under 16, more than eight in ten teenagers continue to actively use these platforms. A report published by eSafety, the country's internet regulator, attributes the widespread non-compliance to tech companies failing to implement effective age-verification systems.

Enacted on December 10 last year as a world-first initiative to safeguard youth mental and physical well-being, the restrictions have produced minimal change in usage patterns. According to eSafety, platform adoption among 10- to 15-year-olds nudged down only slightly - from 86% before the law to 81% in March. Daily engagement saw a similarly negligible drop, shifting from 60% to 58%.

While active account ownership decreased from 52% to 42% (with notable dips across YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok), teenagers simply retained existing accounts or registered new ones. Nearly half of the respondents stated that platforms made no attempt to check their age, while others bypassed checks by listing false birth dates or tricking automated age-estimation tools.

The evaluation highlighted several concerning shifts in behavior:

• Diminished Parental Oversight: Parental awareness of children's online activities declined following the ban, potentially delaying early interventions or support when young users encounter digital hazards.

• Migration to Alternatives: Minors increasingly turned to instant messaging apps, online multiplayer games, and platforms like Reddit, where usage rose from 6% to over 9%.

• No Boost in Offline Engagement: Hopes that the restriction would prompt teenagers to spend more time on sports, arts, or physical activities proved unfounded, showing no measurable change.

Furthermore, over 65% of surveyed minors reported that the ban had no impact on their overall mental well-being. Global regulators planning similar restrictions are closely monitoring the outcomes of this ongoing two-year study.