In the past 20 years our world has become more connected than ever before, allowing  for facetime calls when people are worlds apart, and advanced computing which is propelling us to the future of technology. One component of this connectivity is the explosion of social media apps like Snapchat and Tiktok, allowing primarily young users to communicate in real time and share experiences and short form videos in minutes. 

It was wonderful to see so much connection and growth at first, but as time went on people began to fear for the health of younger people, those who were online the most. During the launch of major social media websites there has been a 5% increase in major depressive episodes amongst teens(From 2005 to 2014). Then something interesting happened, as we became more connected than ever, the population began to feel isolated and alone, preferring to spend time online or at home then with their friends. Even in cases were teens get together in person, they option slowly slip onto their devices, fearing missed notifications and updates, 

With all of these changes in how we interact with each other, many of our socialization skills are being lost, along with the ability to listen to different points of view, for fear of being judged for our opinions.

State and national governments around the world are beginning to tune in to this problem among the youth, and have begun to implement measures to create healthier relationships with social media. One notable example is Australia, which enacted a recent ban on social media for kids under 16, which will be enforced by social media sites, like Instagram, Tiktok and Snapchat.  The reason for the ban included growing mental health issues, exposure to harmful content and development concerns. This ban is the first of its kind, making it a focal point for other nations around the world. 

In the first month Australia saw 4.7 million social media accounts deactivated once the ban took effect, but there are still many concerns over the ban’s enforceability. 

New data suggests that 60-70% of teens in Australia are still on social media apps, often using VPNs to bypass the ban and remain online. As a result the ban has remained largely ineffective throughout Australia. 

This leaves us with a bigger question: Will people enact change in their own lives to limit the amount of time they spend on social media, or will the government have to impose restrictions to protect the population from negative effects? It is clear that the effects of social media are negative, but the solution seems widely unclear. How do we get people to socialize again? To hangout instead of stay home? I believe that the only way that lasting change can happen in society and throughout the world is if we recognize the need to self regulate our online behavior. It could be as simple as just setting a screen time limit or only using social media outside of school.  I will end with a quote from Ghandi, “We have to be the change we want to see in the world”.