Australia's Bold Move: Can a Social Media Ban Really Protect Teens?

Australia has taken a big step to protect young people online. A new law now stops kids under 16 from using popular social media sites. In just one month, nearly 5 million accounts linked to Australian teens have been shut down. This shows the law is working, at least a little. The law affects big names like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and Reddit. These companies must now block underage users or face huge fines. The Australian government hopes this will keep young teens safe from the bad sides of social media, like mental health issues and online dangers. The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, is happy with the early results. He says it's good to see social media companies taking action. But he also knows change won't happen overnight.There's a catch, though. Many teens say they can still get around the ban. They lie about their age or find ways to bypass the checks. This makes it hard to know if the law is really working. Other countries are watching Australia's move closely. They want to see if this law can be a good example for protecting kids online. Or if it's a warning about how hard it is to control social media. The truth is, this law is just a start. It might not fix everything, but it's a step in the right direction. The goal is to keep young people safe while they explore the digital world.