Australia is set to become the first country in the world to ban access to social media by young people.
Those under the age of 16 would not be allowed access to social media sites, and companies which do not comply could face heavy fines. Social media apps affected by the ban have one year to figure out how to make sure young people aren’t using their platforms before facing the fines.
The world is watching how it will all unfold with opinion split on whether such a ban will work.
Dr. Janine Hubbard, a child psychologist in St. John’s, feels that teenagers will find a way around such restrictions.
She points to a video by a teacher in which students were sending messages back and forth on a shared Google document in class.
Dr. Janine Hubbard (VOCM News)
“They found a way around it and I give them credit for that but there are concerning issues,” says Hubbard.
Dr. Hubbard says there’s no refuting that social media can lead to troubling behavior.
“Females tend to post more provocative situations while males will lean toward aggressive and potentially violent postings.”
