What the New Social Media Rules Mean for Young People And How We Can Support Them Australia has introduced a new law that means children and young people under 16 can’t have social media accounts on big platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, X and others. From 10 December 2025, these platforms must take steps to stop under-16s from having accounts or face big fines. The idea is to protect young people from some of the risks that can happen online, like cyberbullying, harmful content and addictive use. But this big change can also affect the wellbeing and social lives of the young people we work with. It’s important we understand what it means and how we can support them. What's Changing? ✔ Under-16s won’t be able to have accounts on many major social media apps. ✔ Platforms must try to check users’ ages and remove or block under-16 accounts. ✔ Young people can still view some public content without an account, but can’t post, comment or use the apps as before. ✔ There are no fines or legal penalties for young people or their families. The law is about the platforms doing the work. What Young People Might Feel This is a big shift, and many young people will feel frustrated, upset or anxious about it. Social media is how a lot of teens connect with their friends, communities, interests and support networks - especially for groups who might already feel isolated, such as rural youth or LGBTIQA+ young people. Some young people may: Feel cut off from friends or peer groups Be angry or in denial about the changes Try to find workarounds to stay connected Be confused about what the rules actually mean It’s normal for them to have strong feelings about this. What This Means for the Young People We Support As youth and disability workers, we might see: 📌 Changes in how young people communicate with each other 📌 Feelings of loss, loneliness or worry about missing out 📌 Increased pressure to stay connected in other ways 📌 Confusion about what they can and cannot do online Some young people will cope well, others might struggle more without their usual online spaces. What We Can Do to Help Here are some simple and practical ways we can support young people during this time: 1. Talk and Listen Give them space to talk about how they feel about the changes. Let them know their feelings are valid - this is a big shift in their world. 2. Help Them Understand the Rules Clarify that the change affects accounts, not the person. They don’t get into trouble for accessing content without an account, but they won’t be able to interact in the same way. Reinforce that there are no legal penalties for them or their families 3. Support Alternatives Help young people find other ways to connect and build positive socialisation, like: Face-to-face meetups Group activities (sport, clubs, classes) Extra support programs or services Safe online spaces that aren’t blocked (Messenger, WhatsApp- Check eSafety Site FAQs to discover more) 4. Watch for Emotional Impacts Some young people may feel sad, anxious, isolated or angry . Pay attention to these feelings and: Offer emotional support Encourage healthy routines (sleep, exercise, offline hobbies) Connect them with mental health support if needed 5. Reinforce Online Safety Use this time as an opportunity to help young people with practical tools and trusted online safety information. A great resource to share with them is the eSafety Commissioner’s “Young People” page: 🔗 eSafety – Young People - https://www.esafety.gov.au/young-people This page has useful information to help stay safe online, including topics young people care about like online behaviour, respectful communication, cyberbullying, privacy, and how to get help if something goes wrong online. You can encourage them to explore this page on their own or use it as a discussion tool when talking about online life — even without social media access. In Summary This new social media change is big news both nationally and for the young people in our communities. While the law is meant to protect young people, it may also bring big feelings and challenges that we need to support. The most important things we can do are: ❤️ Listen openly ❤️ Explain clearly ❤️ Help them find connection and support in safe ways Together, we can help the young people we work with feel heard, understood and supported through this time of change.