Australia's teen social media ban is a flop. But there's no joy in I told you so' | Samantha Floreani

"Around seven in 10 children remain on major platforms despite the Australian government's world-first teen social media ban, indicating a significant failure of the policy."

"The eSafety report shows no notable change in cyberbullying or image-based abuse reported by children, raising questions about the effectiveness of the ban."

"Experts in digital wellbeing and youth mental health warned about the ban's ineffectiveness, yet their concerns were largely ignored by the government."

"The policy may have created new problems, leaving children online with less supervision and increased privacy vulnerabilities, while the worst aspects of social media remain unaddressed."

Despite the Australian government's social media ban for teens, 70% of children continue to use major platforms. The eSafety report indicates no significant decrease in cyberbullying or image-based abuse. Experts and organizations warned about the ban's ineffectiveness, and even the eSafety commissioner expressed doubts. The policy may have created new issues, leaving children with less supervision and increased vulnerabilities. The government has shifted blame to tech firms for non-compliance, but the initial approach was flawed and unlikely to succeed.

Read at www.theguardian.com