Offline until 16? Julian Sefton-Green on UK and Australian social media age restrictions

The UK has followed Australia’s lead by banning social media for under-16s. In a parting move made by the Starmer government, it’s left public opinion divided.

We all want children to be safe online. But is this global movement a necessary stand against Big Tech, or does it ignore how the modern world works?

Julian Sefton-Green is a Professor of New Media and Education at Deakin University. He argues the ban is contradictory because we forbid a 15-year-old from using these apps, but expect them to log on the day they turn 16. As he puts it, "you can't attend a university without some form of social media relationship - you can't be in employment, you can't be on LinkedIn, every role that you occupy as a citizen is to some degree some kind of social media."

Professor Sefton-Green explains both sides of the debate. He unpacks what you need to understand, and why this legislation could open the door to more regulations around algorithms and addictive app design.

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Interested in hearing more about age restrictions on social media? Listen to our episode with Professor Sonia Livingstone, one of the global leading voices in this debate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.