Op-Ed: With social media, you can’t fence the ocean

In May 2024, the South Australian government sought to ban social media for children under 14 and require parental consent for those 14 and 15 years of age. Shortly after, there was a push for a national ban on social media use by children under 16.

Now, with a 276-page report released this month, South Australia has relaunched its efforts with a plan to ban social media use for children under 14 and to require parental consent for 15-year-olds.

The 276-page report includes the draft Children (Social Media Safety) Bill, which the government uses as a starting point for public consultation. It was designed by former High Court chief justice Robert French, with whom South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas was tasked with examining the legal and technological issues of banning young children from using social media. Here’s the report https://www.dpc.sa.gov.au/responsibilities/reviews.

It was also announced yesterday (10 September) that a bill would be introduced to the Federal Parliament before the next election, with the Commonwealth working with the states to plan the best way forward. The Prime Minister believes that, in his “personal view”, the minimum age should be 16.

My opinion?

As a cyber security professional, online safety specialist, and mother of an 18-year-old son, I am well versed in this area.

The topic of banning social media attracts headlines. While it is a very important conversation to have to protect our kids, social media and the digital world are huge parts of their lives and, for that matter, everyone’s lives.

A ban on social media will not work, pure and simple. It’s like trying to fence the ocean, and that’s not possible.

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We must not ignore the other fundamental issues of being a safe digital citizen, including social media. Moving it to a silo is, in my opinion, short-sighted.

The negative impact and fallout from social media affect users of all ages, and there is much evidence to prove that, so something needs to be done about it.

Age verification laws should be non-negotiable.

• The social media companies need to do more to monitor what’s happening online.
• Governments need to create and support the rules and regulations.
• Parents and caregivers must be educated to help themselves and their kids.
• Kids must be educated to help themselves and each other.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and fear of missing out (FOMO) is real

Banning social media for kids 16 years and under will result in them finding a workaround whether we like it or not.

Kids under 18 are finding ways around apps and sites that require you to be 18 years or older to use them. Some of these apps and sites only have a pop-up window with a basic question to confirm their age.

It is human nature to get creative and find ways to get what we want, even if it’s illegal or we have been banned from it. This could involve obtaining a fake ID to get into nightclubs and purchase alcohol, sneaking out the window to meet up with the crush you have been banned from seeing, or getting your best friend’s 18-year-old brother to buy your cigarettes.

Consider some of our current laws and their reality:

• Sixteen is the age for kids to get their learner’s permit to learn to drive.

There are kids under 16 who drive cars.

• Eighteen is the age for kids to be able to purchase alcohol legally.

There are thousands of kids under 18 who find a way to access alcohol.

• Eighteen is the age for kids to sign up on a dating site or app.

There are thousands of kids under 18 actively using dating apps.

• Eighteen is the age when you can legally purchase tobacco and e-cigarettes.

Thousands of kids under 18 smoke.

• It is now illegal to purchase vapes containing nicotine from anywhere other than a pharmacy with a prescription.

Thousands of kids 18 years and under use vapes containing nicotine.

Then there’s the devastating epidemic of children addicted to pornography. What breaks my heart the most is that the average age of first-time exposure to pornography is eight years old.

According to the Australian Institute of Family Studies, “nearly half of children between nine and 16 experience regular exposure to sexual images”.

The eSafety Commissioner’s 2018 research found that 40 per cent of children came across pornography accidentally while searching online, and 21 per cent were shown or sent material by someone they know.

If you haven’t already, go check out the pop-up window to access Porn Hub to see how easy it is for kids to bypass.

What’s the answer?

For our kids:

▪ No smartphones until they are 13. Instead, give them basic/dumb phones for calls and SMS only – “a phone so dumb is smart”. There are already many non-smart mobiles available today.

▪ At school, provide ongoing, age-appropriate awareness and education on how to be a good digital citizen. This should be part of the curriculum starting in the first year of school.

▪ At 13, they must pass a test to attain their digital licence (just like a pen licence) and will also need parental consent to have a smartphone.

With awareness and education, kids will become good digital citizens prepared to handle social media and other online dangers with guidelines, support and monitoring.

For our parents and caregivers:

Adults are making the same mistakes that kids are making online, so telling parents to talk to their kids more about these issues isn’t going to work.

▪ Provide awareness and education that is age-appropriate for their kids. They need to know the positives and negatives of the online world and be prepared to monitor and act if and when necessary.

▪ They will also need to pass a test to know how to keep their kids safe online.

▪ All smartphones for kids aged 13 to 18 should come set up with parental controls and monitoring.

If you think this is crazy or ridiculous, compare it to learning to drive.

To obtain your learner’s permit, you must be 16, study the rules and pass a test. Once you pass this test, you have your learner’s licence. You can only drive with a licensed driver; the learning curve is steep. After much practice in all sorts of conditions and situations, plus evidence documented in a logbook, you take yet another test to prove your knowledge and ability to get your provisional licence. Then you are on your P’s for a set time and need to follow strict rules to keep them. After a few years, you qualify for your full licence.

WHY?

No one gives the keys to a car to a 16-year-old and says, “Drive safely, kid.” Can you imagine what would happen if we did?

When we hand our kids unprotected tablets, smartphones, gaming consoles, smart TVs, etc., with access to the world wide web, we give them the keys to a car and say exactly that: “Drive safely, kid.”

I have said it before, and I will repeat it: cyber security is everyone’s responsibility, and we need a national online safety campaign akin to the “Slip Slop Slap” or “Drink and Drive, You’re a Bloody Idiot” campaigns.

These campaigns are ingrained in our DNA because everyone uses the same playbook; they are continuous, and everyone is involved. This results in everyone knowing what to do to protect themselves and their kids from skin cancer and not driving under the influence with knowledge of the consequences if you don’t follow the recommendations and rules.

We must demand more awareness and education to support their role in keeping themselves and their kids safe online.

Originally written in May 2024 and updated 10 September 2024. You can find Jacqueline Jayne on LinkedIn here.