Australia just banned social media for kids under 16. Should Korea follow suit?

Claire Ni, 14, poses holding a mobile phone as a law banning social media for users under 16 in Australia takes effect on Dec. 10, 2025. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

 
“I would be shocked if a social media ban were introduced in Korea,” says 14-year-old student Minn Su-hong.
 
Minn, who spends about two to four hours a day on social media, says the time he spends online affects his daily life, particularly his study schedule. Rather than a blanket ban, he says, limits on usage hours might help students like him better manage their time.
 
His view reflects the debate currently unfolding in Korea, after Australia’s recent decision to impose the world’s first nationwide ban on social media use for children under 16 raised broader questions globally about how far governments should go to protect the well-being of their young people.
 

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Beginning Dec. 10, 2025, Australia enacted a ban preventing users under 16 from creating or maintaining personal accounts on major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X and YouTube. Accounts held by underage users are expected to be removed, though children will still be able to view publicly accessible content without logging in.
 
The Australian government said the measure was necessary to “protect young Australians at a critical stage of their development” and to prevent exposure to content that could damage their health and well-being. Following Australia’s lead, France is also reported to be considering a similar measure, with a draft bill aimed at restricting social media use for children under 15.
 
Renewed debate
 
In Korea, the issue has gained increased attention following remarks by Kim Jong-cheol, the newly-appointed chairman of the Korea Media Communications Commission, during his parliamentary confirmation hearing last month.
 
Asked whether he would consider regulating young people’s social media use, Kim said that protecting minors was among the commission’s top priorities and that regulation should be considered. His comments fueled speculation that the government could look at the adoption of an Australia-style social media ban, which would go well beyond Korea's existing law barring smartphones in the classroom, set to go into effect this March.
 

Kim Jong-cheol, newly appointed chair of the Korea Media Communications Commission, speaks to reporters on his first day at work at the government complex in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi, on Dec. 19, 2025. [NEWS1]

 
The commission later clarified that Kim’s remarks did not signal an immediate push for a ban on social media, however, saying instead that it would explore a range of measures, including strengthening requirements for parental consent. Under Korea's current Network Act, social media services are required to obtain consent from a legal representative before collecting personal information from children under the age of 14. 
 
Regardless of intent, the remarks drew strong reactions. Some parents welcomed the idea of tighter controls, arguing that existing safeguards were insufficient.
 
“I really think we need this,” one parent wrote on an online parenting forum on Dec. 22, 2025, responding to a post about a possible social media ban. The commenter said children were easily exposed to provocative and inappropriate content.
 
Another parent, commenting on a separate post about Australia’s decision, described concerns about a child who remained glued to a phone while commuting to school and private academies, during meals, while brushing teeth and even in the bathroom.
 
Statistics reflect those anxieties. The share of Korean adolescents classified as having a high reliance on smartphones rose to 42.6 percent in 2024, up from 40.1 percent the year before, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT.
 
A 2024 internet usage survey by the ministry found that 97.3 percent of adolescents used smartphones, and that 67.6 percent of them were active on social media. 
 

People at high risk of social media overuse [YUN YOUNG]

 
Adolescents in Korea spent the most time on YouTube last year, averaging 98 minutes a day, followed by Instagram at 49 minutes and X at 36 minutes, according to data from the technology research firm IGAWorks.
 
Limits of a blanket ban
 
Experts acknowledge the growing reliance on social media among Korean adolescents but caution against adopting a sweeping ban, arguing that such an approach may not fit Korea’s social and legal context.
 
“Korean teenagers tend to use smartphones for longer periods and show higher levels of dependency than their peers in other countries,” said Park Nam-gi, a professor emeritus at Gwangju National University of Education. 
 
“That means resistance would likely be much stronger, and our society could experience significant growing pains if a blanket ban were imposed.”
 
A 2024 study by Lee Geun-woo, a professor at the Catholic University of Daegu’s School of Medicine, found that Korean adolescents used smartphones for an average of 4.6 hours a day on weekdays and 6.6 hours on weekends in 2023. 
 
The study noted that this was significantly higher than usage reported in Europe, and also higher than the United States: Adolescents in 19 European nations averaged 167 minutes — fewer than three hours — a day in 2020, while U.S. adolescents with an evening-oriented schedule spent about 3.8 hours online on weekdays and 5.4 hours on weekends.
 
Prof. Park emphasized the need for extensive discussion involving students, parents, civic groups and education experts before authorities such as the Ministry of Education and regional superintendents establish any new systems or policies.
 

Campaigners hold pickets warning of the seriousness of adolescents’ smartphone overuse near an elementary school in Gangneung, Gangwon, on Nov. 11, 2025. [SMARTPHONE-FREE CHILDHOOD MOVEMENT]

 
“Only by gradually moving forward while actively incorporating students’ opinions can such measures be effective,” he said.
 
Still, Prof. Park argued that some form of age-based restriction is necessary to protect young users.
 
“Adolescents’ frontal lobes are not fully developed, which makes them more vulnerable to side effects,” he said, adding that simply imposing a law would be insufficient and that more scientific research is needed to help young people understand why restrictions might be necessary.
 
As a more practical step, he expressed hope that a nationwide ban on smartphone use in classrooms, which is set to take effect this academic year, would help limit excessive exposure. Beginning in March, students from elementary through high school will be prohibited from using smartphones on school grounds, except for educational purposes or emergencies.
 
Professor Lee Joon-bok at Seokyeong University’s School of Public Service echoed skepticism about the effectiveness of a blanket ban.
 
“Considering Korea’s institutional environment, constitutional order, technological infrastructure and sensitivity around freedom of expression, a uniform and comprehensive shutdown of social media would face serious challenges in both practicality and constitutionality,” he said.
 
Students raise doubts


Students themselves also expressed mixed views.
 
Lee Yu-min, a 14-year-old student in Songdo, Incheon, said adopting the Australian model in Korea would be “unfair” and unlikely to achieve its goals.
 
She argued that a ban could undermine community and communication among students.
 
“I think restrictions are only necessary if they focus on blocking truly harmful websites,” she said, “rather than platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, which are part of daily life and can be monitored.”
 
Although she said she does not use social media heavily, Lee added that her phone use still affects her attention span because of time spent on other apps, including games.
 

Students check their phones near a middle school in downtown Seoul after school on Nov. 4, 2024. [YONHAP]

 
Hwang Ji-min, a 17-year-old student in Seocho District, southern Seoul, said she spends about four hours a day on her phone, mostly to communicate with friends.
 
“I think some rules are necessary for adolescents’ development and health,” she said.
 
“But I doubt restrictions can fully control behavior. With digital services, it’s easy to find loopholes or workarounds.”
 
Beyond a ban
 
Choi Jong-sun, an adjunct professor at Hanyang University’s Graduate School of Public Policy, said that defining what constitutes social media in legal terms should come before any discussion of regulation.
 
“Without a clear legal definition, it becomes difficult for those subject to regulation and for regulators themselves to predict obligations and limits on fundamental rights,” Prof. Choi said. 
 
Australia’s ban excludes certain categories, such as gaming, messaging and educational platforms. 
 
“There is no unified legal definition of social media at present, and proposed bills define it in different ways.”
 
Several bills aimed at regulating minors’ use of social networking services were introduced at the National Assembly in 2024, including separate bills proposed by Democratic Party Rep. Yoon Kun-young and People Power Party Rep. Cho Jung-hoon, which remain under review.
 
Prof. Choi added that government-led regulation should be a last resort, arguing that less restrictive measures such as policies that encourage face-to-face interaction, educational programs on new media and review and examination of the terms of service used by social media providers should be pursued first.
 
“Freedom of expression should not be restricted simply because someone is a adolescent, without clear and specific justification,” Prof. Choi said, noting that the implications of social media exposure extend to adults as well.
 
Prof. Lee from Seokyung University stressed that minimizing infringements on young people’s basic rights is essential.
 
“Rather than banning children and adolescents from using social media altogether, a more balanced approach would involve age verification, parental consent and stronger responsibilities for platform operators in algorithm and content design,” he said. 
 

A 13-year-old boy poses at his home as he looks at social media on his tablet in Sydney on December 8, 2025. [AFP/YONHAP]

 
“This can reduce the risk of constitutional rights violations while preserving adolescents’ right to self-determination.”
 
He added that regulation is still necessary given rising dependence on social media, but said the government would be better positioned to make judgments by drawing lessons from past experience, referring to the so-called shutdown law introduced in 2011, which barred children under 16 from playing online games between midnight and 6 a.m.
 
That law, which excluded mobile games that did not require an internet connection, remained in place for a decade before being abolished in 2021 amid criticism that it infringed on adolescents’ basic rights.
 
“What matters most is obligating platform companies to implement youth-protection settings, differentiated algorithms and transparent disclosure of policy changes, while the government builds and enforces a legal framework that prevents companies from evading responsibility,” Lee said.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]