Any social media ban on under 16-year-olds will have wide consequences and will need to be better understood says Finance minister Katy Gallagher. “If you ban social media, what is the behavioral, what is the consequence of that?” Gallagher told ABC Radio National. “These things are really hard. When you ban something, it doesn’t mean people’s interest wanes. “Which is why this trial is important,” Gallagher said.
“We have to understand how best to go about protecting our children’s mental well-being,” Gallagher said. She said a parliamentary committee had been established to look at social media and its impact. “I think every parent everyone involved in a child’s life is worried about this and worried about the impact that social media is having on their children’s health, mental health, physical health. “This is something that as a community need to respond to.