Australia’s kids and teens are saying goodbye to social media

When Carly is 15 years old When Jade Clements wakes up, her first thought is to record a Get Ready With Me video to share with her friends on TikTok. “I love recording everything and posting it the moment I have it,” says Clements, who lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Like many teenagers, Clements communicates with the world primarily through social media: Snapchat for messaging her friends, Pinterest for inspiration, TikTok for … well, everything. Unlike many teenagers, he also uses social media professionally. Clements has more than 37,000 followers on Instagram, where she often posts product reviews (skincare, slime) and photos from her modeling and acting gigs.

But from December 10, 2025, this situation will change. This is when Australia’s social media minimum age regulations come into effect, which prevent Australians under 16 from having social media accounts. “It’s going to be very strange, quiet and secluded,” says Clements. “I feel cut off.”

Globally, people are beginning to understand how social media can negatively impact teenagers. Even teenagers themselves see it: nearly half of teens in the United States claim that these platforms harm people their own age. Australia is the first country to take serious action. In December 2024, lawmakers passed the Social Media Minimum Age Bill, which fines tech platforms (including TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, and Reddit) that allow people under the age of 16 to access their platforms.

In response, platforms are locking accounts and adopting age verification requirements. Some platforms, including Meta, started implementing it earlier.

Teen content creators are also taking action. Zoey Bender, 14, likes to post GRWM videos and tips: for making friends in high school, for starting seventh grade, for dealing with braces. “I love being creative,” says Bandar, who has 58,000 followers on TikTok. “This is my outlet.”

His handle used to be @heyitszoey. In November, she and her father, Mark, changed it to @_heyitszoeyandmark, hoping her account wouldn’t be deleted on Dec. 10 because it’s now managed by an adult. He says that many other teenagers with large followings do the same. Clements’ mother already manages his Instagram account.

This means that their professional accounts will likely still exist when age restrictions are applied – although as teens and children’s accounts are suspended, their engagement will likely decrease and they may also lose followers. That means a cut in free products and revenue, though generally not by much: Ava Jones, 12, who has 11,500 Instagram followers, estimates she earns A$1,000 to A$2,000 (US$600 to $1,300) a year, which she usually spends on makeup and clothes. “I’d have to do a lot more work at home if this was going to go away,” she says.