14/04/2026
The data is in, and it tells a clear story.
Australia’s under-16 social media ban is not working as intended.
A new EFTM survey, reported by Trevor Long, found that 63% of parents said the ban had been completely ineffective, while another 25% said their children had simply found workarounds.
What concerns me most is not just that it is failing; it is the unintended consequences.
Children who may once have had supervised, age-appropriate access are now finding other ways online with less visibility and fewer safeguards. Harmful behaviour is not disappearing. It is simply shifting into spaces that are often even harder for adults to see, including messaging apps and gaming platforms.
This is exactly why the work of matters.
Fear-based restrictions do not create safer outcomes. What creates safer outcomes is informed, connected, values-led guidance for families.
As an educator and researcher, I believe we need to move beyond bans and toward something more sustainable: equipping parents, schools, and communities with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to raise kind, safe, digitally capable children.
That is the heart of our work at The Blended Citizens Project. We focus on building digital citizenship through empathy, reflection, and connection, not control.
Thank you, , for bringing this data into the conversation.
I’ve linked Trevor Long’s full piece in the comments.
What are you seeing in your own family, school, or community?
