Getting platforms to comply with the restrictions was no small feat. But it’s too early to measure the real-world mental health outcomes
As the UK becomes the latest country to consider following Australia’s lead on a social media ban for teenagers, a question Australians are repeatedly being asked is: how is it going?
“Our data is still minimal,” says Caroline Thain, national clinical adviser with the mental health organisation Headspace. “We’re really waiting for a few more months before we do a deeper dive.”
About one in 10 teenagers coming into Headspace centres have brought up the social media ban as their reason for seeking support, she says.
When the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, talks of the triumph of the ban, he in part measures it by the number of accounts removed: 4.7m from the 10 platforms that were required to comply with the ban from 10 December 2025.
