Vigilance

The Australian Government recently passed legislation prohibiting children under 16 from accessing social media. Although it is still a year away from becoming law, it is another step towards preventing or at least limiting harm from these platforms.

Of course, the platforms themselves don’t cause harm–the end-users do a good job of that.

The finer details need to be ironed out, but this decision is worthy of applause. Regular readers of this blog will note that it focuses on fact-checking and critical thinking skills. Social media has a place in our lives. Trends drive its use.

As a teacher, I stopped counting the times I heard a student or parent say they’d found believable information on social media. There is a wealth of information on the platforms. Whether you choose to be guided by it or make decisions based on the content is a personal choice.

It pays, though, to be vigilant. It is essential to exercise a vice-like grip on its usage when it negatively affects young people’s lives.

Our government has taken firm steps towards limiting harm from social media platforms and the small number of knuckleheads who use them to hurt or upset others.