My name is Blayze. I am a teenager and a self-proclaimed technology nerd. I fundamentally believe in the concept of using technology for good; the digital world has boundless potential to connect and educate us. However, as someone who has grown up inside the digital ecosystem, I can confidently say that the current landscape of social media is terrible for children and teenagers.
While the negative impacts of these platforms are undeniable, the sweeping bans currently being proposed by the government are profoundly misguided. To truly fix the problem, we need to understand how these apps operate, why current bans will fail, and what realistic solutions actually look like.
The Attention Economy: TikTok and the Trap of Addiction
Let's start with TikTok, a video-sharing platform that I myself have posted on. The entire architecture of TikTok—and similar platforms run by Meta and Snapchat—is engineered around a single goal: keeping users watching and engaging for as long as humanly possible. They are designed to be highly addictive.
However, when you have a generation already addicted to these platforms, the government stepping in to forcefully rip that addiction away is a recipe for disaster. Going "cold turkey" due to a sudden government ban will inevitably lead to severe social withdrawal, isolation, and psychological distress for teenagers whose entire social lives are intertwined with these apps.
The Illusion of Privacy: Snapchat's Predatory Tactics
Snapchat is built on the concept of disappearing messages. On paper, this sounds like a great idea for user privacy. In reality, it is a dangerous illusion. Messages and media are still stored on servers for law enforcement use, meaning they never truly disappear.
Worse, this false sense of security encourages teenagers to engage in highly reckless behavior, such as filming themselves doing drugs or sending explicit photos. Because anything can be screenshotted or recorded from another device, these "disappearing" messages frequently leak. For a teenager, a leaked photo doesn't just cause embarrassment; it leads to them becoming a social outcast, which can cause severe, sometimes fatal, harm to their mental health.
Furthermore, Snapchat engages in predatory monetization. They relentlessly push subscriptions like Snapchat+ in users' faces. As someone who bought it for a few months out of curiosity, I can confirm it is entirely useless. It exists purely as a digital status symbol. It creates immense peer pressure, promoting a toxic culture of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) where teenagers are made to feel "poor" or "uncool" if they don't have a premium badge next to their name.
The Necessary Evil: Meta (Facebook and Instagram)
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, essentially holds a monopoly over community information. Where I live, Facebook is almost impossible to live without. If you aren't on it, you miss out on local events, garage sales, and community announcements. It is even the primary advertising platform for local politicians, such as our state MP (Chantelle Thomas, One Nation).
We shouldn't have to rely on an aging, ad-driven platform just to know what is happening in our own neighborhoods. I believe the government has a responsibility to create a public, digital community hub for local announcements so citizens aren't forced onto a platform that inevitably sucks them into an hour of scrolling through mindless memes.
Instagram, Meta's sister app, is heavily targeted at my age demographic. Its algorithm is terrifyingly good. It can easily trap you in a doomscrolling loop for an hour straight. I don't mind staying informed by watching political videos—like those from the Greens (Who i support i follow members therefore it will only show me political videos) —but I shouldn't be manipulated into watching them for hours on end. That is why I prefer reading the news. To make matters worse, Meta is currently stripping away one of its only good features: encrypted messaging.
The Microblogging Landscape: X vs. Bluesky
Twitter (now X) has devolved into a wasteland. It is heavily saturated with far-right conspiracies, unregulated adult content, and misinformation. I honestly don't know who still actively scrolls on it, other than people who genuinely believe there are lizard people living underground.
In contrast, Bluesky has emerged as a genuinely decent alternative. It is a much healthier app to swipe through if you want to know what is actually happening in the world, free from the heavy algorithmic push of wild conspiracy theories.
The Dark Side of Encrypted Messaging
When it comes to apps like Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal, and Zangi, there is a clear divide. Signal is genuinely good for secure, private communication. However, the reality is that platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Zangi are frequently exploited. In teenage circles, it is an open secret that these apps are heavily used by drug dealers and for the distribution of illicit content.
Why a Blanket Ban Failed (And What We Should Do Instead)
Banning social media for teenagers who already have access to it is a terrible idea. Instead, we should look at the "grandfather clause" approach that some countries have used for phasing out tobacco.
If the government genuinely believes social media is toxic, they should ban it only for future generations—specifically, those born in 2020 or later (Generation Alpha). This would ensure that the next generation gets to experience a healthy, phone-free childhood and a fresh start. For my generation, the damage is already done. Our social infrastructures are built on these apps; stripping them away now will cause more harm than good.
Real, Actionable Solutions
If the government and tech companies actually want to protect teenagers, they should implement the following ideas:
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1
Compassionate, In-App eSafety Reporting
Messaging services need built-in, frictionless reporting to the eSafety Commissioner. Users should be able to supply chat logs with the tap of a button. More importantly, the system must be empathetic. If a 13-year-old makes a mistake (like sending a compromising photo), the reporting process shouldn't make them feel like a criminal offender. The platform should focus on helping them delete the content and offering support, rather than threatening them with heavy repercussions. -
2
Discreet Mental Health Support Integration
Apps like Snapchat should directly integrate services like Kids Helpline and Lifeline. Teenagers are often scared or embarrassed to seek help. If they could text or call a helpline within Snapchat, it would visually look like they are just chatting with a friend. This removes the stigma and danger of being "caught" asking for help, allowing vulnerable youth to access professional support discreetly and safely. -
3
Flawless Age Verification via Digital ID
Current age verification is a joke because kids just use their parents' accounts or IDs. We need a proper system. The age requirement for a Proof of Age card should be lowered to 13. When teenagers turn 16 (or whatever the legal social media age becomes), they can verify their accounts using this card. To prevent "alt accounts" and loopholes, the platform should require a live face scan that matches the Proof of Age card or Digital ID. If Digital IDs are going to be a part of our future, they should be linked directly to social media creation to ensure a safer, verified online environment for everyone.
Final Verdict
Technology is not going away, and clumsy government bans on teenagers who are already entrenched in the digital world will only cause resentment and social isolation. We need to protect the next generation with age restrictions, while providing this generation with safer algorithms, discreet mental health tools, and compassionate eSafety systems. It's time we stop treating teenagers like a problem to be banned, and start building a digital world that actually supports us.