'Partial Ban Is Better': Young Indians Weigh In On Australia's Move To Restrict Social Media For Children

Mumbai: "I think a complete ban is wrong," opines Pratigya Jena in Mumbai, India, ahead of Australia's upcoming social media ban for under-16s. From December 10, Australia will require a raft of major platforms and websites, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, to remove underage accounts or face a substantial fine.

The Australian government's move is set to impact hundreds of thousands of adolescents, with Instagram alone reporting about 350,000 Australian users aged 13 to 15.

Australia concedes the ban will be far from perfect at the outset, and some underage users will fall through the cracks as issues are ironed out.

But platforms face the threat of $32 million fines if they fail to take "reasonable steps" to comply.

It remains unclear how Australia's internet safety regulator would interpret or enforce what counts as reasonable.

"'Reasonable steps' means platforms have to act to enforce the restrictions in a way that is just and appropriate in the circumstances," the regulator's guidelines say.

Here are some reactions to the regulation from Mumbai.

Pratik Bhurke, a Mumbai-based cricket coach, told AFP: "I think Australia has made a positive move by banning social media for children. It will encourage kids to spend more time outdoors and focus on other productive activities. If a similar ban were implemented in India, it could have great benefits. Children might shift from mobile phones to physical activities, face fewer health issues, protect their eyesight, and improve their studies."

Chinmay Chougule, another cricket coach, echoed his view: "In my opinion, children should reduce their mobile screen time. Those above 17 or 18 can use phones more freely. It is not right to give mobile phones to kids during their early, growing years."

On the other hand, 19-year-old student Pratigya Jena said a complete ban is wrong. "It should be partially banned because, according to me, nothing is completely black or white, or entirely good or bad. I think there should be a partial ban. When we see social media, there are many young entrepreneurs, both in India and abroad. Teenagers or Gen Z are very active, doing really well on social media and discovering new things. That’s a good thing. Totally banning social media would really hamper them," Jena told AFP.

She added that younger people are reaching maturity and puberty earlier as they are exposed to adult content online. "In such cases, parents should take note of what their children are doing. Guidance is really important."

Twenty-year-old student Shaurya Ravindra Mali opined that social media is good to some extent, but it can also be harmful. "If those under 16 get manipulated or bullied, anything can happen because people create fake IDs to fool others. Young children are not aware of these risks as they do everything for fun. This generation is very fun-loving, and that can lead to complications. So, it’s actually good to have a ban for those under sixteen," he told AFP. (With AFP Inputs)

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