🔍 In this 'Hot Item' episode, Amanda Third discusses the proposed ban on social media for under-16s and why a well-intentioned, “world-first” measure could backfire. Framed as a response to youth mental health concerns, the legislation may weaken online safety, deepen inequalities, and encourage circumvention. The discussion highlights why smarter, evidence-based regulation—focused on harmful platform features and children’s rights—matters far more than blanket bans.🔑 The key messages:1. Blanket social media bans risk making children less safe, not more.By removing under-16s from social media platforms altogether, the legislation may strip away critical safety tools such as age-appropriate content moderation and targeted protections. Rather than addressing harmful content and platform design, the ban risks pushing children into unregulated spaces or teaching them how to circumvent safeguards.2. Children’s digital lives are complex—and regulation must reflect that reality.Young people use social media to connect, learn, organise, and support their wellbeing, while actively weighing risks and benefits in their online choices. Delaying access can hinder the development of essential digital, critical, and safety literacies—leaving children more vulnerable when they inevitably enter these spaces later.3. Effective child online safety requires smarter, evidence-based regulation—not political shortcuts.Australia’s rushed legislation overlooks existing regulatory tools and creates equity gaps that disproportionately affect vulnerable children. A better path lies in regulating harmful platform features, setting clear design standards, and meaningfully involving children in policymaking—an approach the EU is well placed to lead at an international level.📌 About Our Guest🎙️ Amanda Third | Western Sydney University🔗 linkedin.com/in/amanda-third-03228a46 Amanda Third is an internationally recognised expert in children’s rights, digital media, and online safety. She is Co-Director of the Young and Resilient Research Centre at Western Sydney University, where she leads research and advises policymakers on evidence-based approaches to supporting children and young people in digital environments.#EUdigital #InternetPolicy #TelecomRegulation

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