Get ready for youngsters next week grappling with “irritability, boredom, loss or anxiety”, Walford girls principal Dr Deborah Netolicky says.

From December 10, Australia will become the first country globally to introduce laws banning under 16s from social media.

The laws have been hotly debated in the 12 months since they were introduced to federal parliament, and even resulted in a recent last ditch High Court challenge from advocacy group Digital Freedom Project who argue it is a ‘blatant attack’ on the constitutional rights of young Australians, who have grown up in a world in which online platforms are a primary mode of communication, connection, creativity and identity.

For marginalised young people in particular, online spaces can be vital sites of belonging, offering refuge when real life feels hard or a young person feels disconnected or misunderstood in their immediate surroundings.

The government is standing firm, and regulators around the world are watching the Australian experiment closely as many countries, including Malaysia and those in the European Union, look to follow suit.

So, what happens when the law changes, and teens under 16 years old are expected to........

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