According to the BBC, the results of this step have been mixed: from feelings of liberation to attempts to circumvent the established restrictions.
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For 14-year-old Amy from Sydney, the first days without access to familiar apps were a real challenge. In her diary, she admits that at first, it was hard not to reach for her smartphone every morning. However, by the fourth day, anxiety gave way to relief. Amy notes that what worried her the most was the pressure associated with maintaining "streaks" on Snapchat, which had become a mandatory ritual for many teenagers. Freed from this burden, she began to spend time jogging, reading, and even knitting, while her screen time was cut in half.
However, not all teenagers have coped easily with the new reality. Thirteen-year-old Aahil says that his usual routine has not changed significantly. He simply shifted his attention to gaming platforms like Roblox and the messaging app Discord, which were not affected by the ban. Aahil's mother notices that he has become more irritable. Psychologist Christina Anthony explains this as a temporary effect of "cancellation," since for teenagers, social media were not only a source of entertainment but also a way to cope with stress and boredom.
Many teenagers quickly learned to bypass the restrictions. Fifteen-year-old Lulu, for example, shared with reporters that she created new accounts, providing false age information. Nevertheless, she noted that she started reading more, avoiding mindless scrolling under fake profiles.
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Interestingly, the period of silence on air brought unexpected benefits. Amy recalls that on the day of the tragic shooting at Bondi Beach in December, she was grateful for the absence of TikTok. While adults were immersed in a stream of harsh images and negative information, she remained untouched by that stress and was able to maintain her peace of mind.
Despite the criticism and existing technical workarounds, Australian authorities are confident in the legitimacy of their experiment. Communications Minister Anika Wells emphasizes that the aim of the law is to give children an additional three years to develop their personalities in the real world, away from the pressures of social media.
In the coming weeks, the government is expected to release official data on the results of the ban and the number of deleted accounts, while Australia continues to adapt to the new reality, communicating with each other face-to-face rather than through smartphone screens.
