Australia has taken a bold decision to ban all social media platforms, including YouTube, for children under the age of 16. This step has been taken to protect children from the negative effects of the online world. In countries like India, where digital addiction is spreading rapidly, such a policy has become extremely necessary. It is time that India also makes clear laws to protect the digital rights of children, make parents aware, and move towards balanced development by freeing children from screen addiction. Countries of the world should learn a lesson from Australia’s decision that the time has come to keep children away from social media.
“Childhood is no longer shaped by books, but by the glow of the screen.” This sentence is no longer just a literary symbol, but has become the reality of our society. Mobile, tablet, and internet access have become so easy for children that even a four-year-old can watch cartoons on YouTube, and a ten-year-old knows how to make reels on Instagram. In such a situation, the decision taken by the Australian government is not only bold but also a historic step towards securing the future of the coming generations. Australia has decided that children under the age of 16 will not be able to use platforms like YouTube. This policy is coming into effect from December 10, and violation of this will result in heavy fines on the concerned platforms.
The Australian Parliament has already banned platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and X for children under the age of 16. Now, YouTube has also been included in this scope. This is the first law in the world that is being implemented with such clarity and strictness regarding the digital safety of children. According to the rules, if any platform continues to provide services to children under the age of 16, then it will be fined up to 50 million Australian dollars. This is not a general warning, but a serious attempt to make tech companies accountable.
The Australian government believes that online platforms are hurting children’s mental health, social development, and behaviour. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has clearly stated that parents have the right to know what their children are watching and under whose influence. The content that children are exposed to on platforms like YouTube is often full of violence, gender bias, abusive language, and indecent behaviour. Not only this, but children are being distanced from the real world by constantly showing them advertisements, branded content, and glamorous life.
YouTube says it is only a video hosting platform and should not be classified as social media. A YouTube spokesperson argues that about three-quarters of Australian teenagers aged 13 to 15 use it, and it is used for educational, creative, and recreational purposes. But the question arises whether YouTube or other social media platforms are really safe for children? Do they ensure that children are shown only appropriate and positive content? The reality is that most tech companies work only for views, clicks, and advertising revenue, not to protect the mental health of children.
This issue becomes even more serious in countries like India. Here, the number of internet users is in crores, a large number of which are teenagers and school children. According to a report, children between 13 and 17 years of age in India spend an average of more than three hours on social media every day. At such a young age when children should spend time on books, games, and social interactions, they sit alone in their rooms and stick to the screen. This not only affects their eyes and physical health but also hinders emotional and social development.
Teachers in schools are now worried that students are not able to concentrate on their studies because they remain busy on their mobile phones all night. Parents are in a dilemma whether to give mobile phones to their children or not, because if they do not give them mobile phones, the child fears falling behind, and if they give them, they become addicted to the screen. Digital addiction has now spread like a drug. Problems like irritability, lack of sleep, lack of concentration, and distance from relationships have now become common among children. Some children are becoming victims of trolling and cyberbullying on social media, which is badly affecting their self-confidence and mental balance.
There is no concrete policy on this issue in India yet. The age limit of 13 years is fixed on social media platforms, but no one follows it. Children create accounts by entering the wrong age and use them without any supervision. The role of parents is also questionable – some parents themselves keep their children busy by giving them screens, whereas they should be the guides. Apart from this, there is a lack of education on digital ethics even at the school level in India. Children are not taught how to use technology judiciously, how to avoid fake news, or how to be alert to cyber threats.
The problem is not just one of technology, but also of social and family awareness. Unless parents, teachers, and governments decide together what kind of digital world children should enter, no technological solution can be effective. Digital discipline does not come only from law, but from sanskar and understanding.
Australia’s move is inspiring in that it prioritised children’s digital safety and challenged tech companies. India should not wait any longer. It is time for the government to formulate a clear and strict policy that children under the age of 16 will be kept away from social media and entertainment platforms. Also, technologies like content filtering, screen time limits, and age verification should be made mandatory.
Along with this, awareness campaigns should be run for parents so that they can understand what role the screen should play in the lives of children. Education on digital citizenship should be made a part of the curriculum in schools. The media and film industry will also have to take responsibility to produce positive, value-based, and motivational content for children.
It should be remembered that today’s children will decide tomorrow’s society. If they get lost in the illusion of the virtual world right now, they will not get the strength to face the challenges of the real world. A society will be created which will live on the screen, but will be away from the realities of life.
Childhood is not just a stage of life; it is the foundation of human life. If social media fills the cracks in that foundation, then the building that stands on top will never be strong. Australia has given this message to the world that protecting children should not be just a family responsibility, but a national policy.
India should take this warning seriously and make the future generations not just digitally competent but balanced, sensitive, and safe citizens. Now, the time has come to give our children some distance from the screen and give them a place in their lives again for books, games, and relationships. Otherwise, the day is not far when children will grow up not with us but only with the screen.
“If childhood is lost in screens,
Then the society itself will become upset with its future.”
