The Australian Government says it will introduce "world-leading" legislation to ban children under 16 from social media. This would include social media platforms Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Reddit, X, and even YouTube. While these platforms have all been stated to be targets of the ban, depending on the definition of social media which is still to be decided in parliament platforms could also include Steam, Roblox, GitHub, and possibly even online multiplayer video games.

There are valid reasons from both the government and parents, many of which are outlined in the 36 Months petition. While we do agree that social media can be incredibly harmful to teenagers, we don't believe an outright ban is the correct answer. We believe a more appropriate solution could be implementing parent consent and/or other adjacent solutions. By choosing to place an outright ban on social media, we believe the government is ignoring that for every teen who is harmed by social media and the internet, there is another thriving. While we do agree that social media can cause harm, we don't believe it is correct to outright ban it's use for those who are using it to live their best lives.

Testimonials from queer teens say volumes about the importance of social media for teens under 16. One voice echoes, "I'm a trans teen and I find it hard to find community in real life, it feels like the world is against me. I can go on social media and find a bunch of lgbtq influencers achieving their goals. This connection gives me hope, and ease in my identity and helps alleviate my feelings of being against a wall. This proposed ban threatens to disconnect me from my community and strip away my hope for the future." Another teen stated, "Growing up with transphobic parents as a trans person has really hindered my mental health and having social media to connect with people experiencing the same thing has really helped me cope with my identity as a queer teen."

Another great, and common, use for social media, especially YouTube and Reddit is for education and learning, especially on more niche or technology-related topics. One teen says "[I] have used social media platforms such as YouTube, Discord, and Reddit to learn the skill/hobby of game development. It's now one of my main interests and hobbies, and it's my dream to continue doing it when I'm older. I've learned a lot from YouTube tutorials, and I've used Reddit and Discord communities as a way to showcase my work, ask for help and feedback, and even simply as an educational resource to learn from others' past experiences with issues I have faced. While some parents may view my hobby as simply an excuse to spend time online, I've taught myself valuable skills in programming, computer use, and team management that I am likely to use in the future when I enter the workforce. In addition to these clearly labelled social media platforms, other platforms that are used in my process could also be affected. Discord is the main platform I use to communicate with my friends, but it's also the sole way I can communicate with others to work on my game. GitHub is primarily a version control system (a system that allows you to save several versions of code that can be reverted back to later), however, its features could allow the government to classify it as a social media platform. And lastly, the platform I actually use to publish and release my games out into the world, itch.io, could also easily be banned for teens depending on what the government decides constitutes "social media" alongside all the other platforms mentioned. If these were to be banned I would have to, at least temporarily, give up on my dream and stop learning skills that both entertain me and help me set myself up for my future, and I simply don't think it's right."

The internet, inclusive of social media, has undeniably allowed teenagers under 16, particularly those from minority groups to learn, express creativity, and most importantly, discover parts of themselves in a safe environment. The proposed ban on social media use for teens under 16 in Australia stands against these fundamental learning and growing opportunities.

We are standing against the imposition of a restricting policy that threatens to jeopardize the mental health of our youngsters, prevents self-discovery and diminishes a crucial support system. We oppose the planned social media ban for teenagers under 16 in Australia. Stand with us. Sign this petition.