HOW much longer are kids under 16 going to tolerate our government going against our right to express ourselves online?
Furthermore, how much more tax money are we going to keep putting towards something that can be easily bypassed?
Well, we shouldn’t even have to tolerate it or have our tax money go to waste in the first place.
I believe this social media ban is pointless because it goes against our rights as Australian citizens, limiting us from expressing our thoughts about our country or even casual things.
It also wastes millions of taxpayer dollars on something with more flaws than benefits.
The Australian Federal Government has invested over $50 million into this ban over a span of four years, according to innovationaus.com.
This money could definitely be used for teaching rather than limiting.
Currently, these funds are being wasted because kids and young teenagers can simply use false identification or an older family member to get past the regulations. It is far from effective.
While kidshelpline.com states social media can trigger dopamine and cause addiction, this can be fixed by limiting screentime.
By turning devices off or going outside, kids can become proactive and reduce anxiety. This simple habit basically solves the problems used to justify the restriction.
Additionally, kids are already using apps that haven’t been affected yet. As reported by the ABC, downloads for alternatives like Lemon8 and Yope have skyrocketed.
Even if these platforms were restricted, more would soon take their place.
In conclusion, this ban is pointless. Whether it is avoiding identification or using unbanned apps, the problems surpass the benefits.
Instead of spending millions on a failing restriction, the government should replace the ban with lessons on how to stay safe online and provide students with much better digital tools.
Owen Short
Irymple Secondary College
