My household was wild over the weekend
That’s exactly what I typed into the work chat on Monday morning, chai in hand, trying to shake off the residual stress of a rollercoaster of teenage emotions.
Why the drama? Because the much-anticipated social media delay, Australia’s social media ‘ban’ for anyone under 16 crept its way into my living room. And let me tell you, in a house with a 17, 15, and 12-year-old, I am sitting squarely in the demographic bullseye.
I’m stuck in the messy middle
The Tale of Two Teenagers & a Tween
The mood in our house varies wildly depending on which bedroom door you knock on.
My 17-year-old? Completely unbothered by the social media delay. She’s the lucky one who scrapes by the age limit. She watched the chaos unfold with the smug detachment of someone who already has their learner’s permit and can prove they’re above 16.
My 15-year-old daughter, however, is currently mourning her future. In her words (not mine), she is on the brink of “social isolation.” To her, this isn’t just a policy change; it’s a direct attack on her ability to connect in the modern world. Trying to explain the nuances of government legislation to a teenager who just realised she might actually lose her Snapchat access is a negotiation tactic I haven’t quite mastered yet.
Then there’s my 12-year-old son, who has zero social media to mourn. He remains officially benched until he hits the magic age of 16 (cue my sigh of relief), and honestly, he seems totally fine with it. But don’t be fooled, my role as the household screen-time police isn’t going anywhere, social media or not.
Sitting on the Fence
Here is the honest truth: I am not firmly for or against the social media delay. I am stuck in the messy middle.
Part of me hopes, desperately, that this is for the greater good. We’ve all seen the headlines about mental health, cyberbullying, and the addictive nature of algorithms. If this legislation can curb even a fraction of that anxiety for the next generation, then maybe it’s worth a shot. I look at my 12-year-old and feel a sense of relief. He might just miss out on the crushing pressure of online performance during those critical, awkward developmental years. That feels like a win.
But then I look at my 15-year-old, and I worry. Managing her emotions over the weekend has been tricky, to say the least. It’s hard to tell a kid that the digital playground where all her friends hang out is suddenly off-limits (a handful of her 15-year-old friends have sneakily slipped through the age checks). I worry whether we’re just delaying the inevitable, rather than teaching them how to swim in the deep end.
So, I’ll wait and see. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that the policymakers know what they are doing, while simultaneously bracing myself for the fallout at home.
Navigating the Chaos
If I have any advice to offer as a busy working mum of teenagers and a tween, who is currently in the trenches, it’s this: talk to them about the social media delay.
Have open, honest, and sometimes tricky conversations. We have to be understanding. For us, it might just be an app on a phone, but for them, being kicked off social media feels like being kicked off the lunch table. Their feelings are valid, even if the scale of their reaction feels a bit theatrical to our adult brains.
If you’re feeling as overwhelmed as I was this weekend, the Cyber Safety Project has a great Parent Toolkit you can download. It’s a fantastic resource to help guide social media delay discussions and, hopefully, help you navigate your way to a household that is slightly less “wild” than mine.
Until then, wish me luck. I have a 15-year-old to console.
Written by Jadey Faulkner
December 2025
