Australia became the first country to prohibit those under age 16 from using major social media platforms in December 2025. The aim was to limit the potentially harmful cognitive, social, and mental health effects on children.
So far, the results do not look promising.
Researchers studying the bans early effectiveness found nearly 75 percent of Australia’s 14- to 15-year-olds were not complying, in large part because they perceived so few others were doing so, according to a new National Bureau of Economic Research working paper.
Those who did adhere were seen as out-of-the loop socially, while violators faced no penalties.
In this edited conversation, Cass Sunstein, Robert Walmsley University Professor and one of the paper’s co-authors, explains why such a ban is probably not the cure-all officials envision and suggests some tweaks to ramp up compliance.
