Dr Michael Daubs explores the growing debate over restricting social media platforms. Video / Herald NOW
An Australian family have made the bold decision to relocate overseas, allowing their children to continue their online careers amid an impending social media ban.
The Australian Government has announced social media ban for children, which comes into effect in December.
In a world-first crackdown, children under the ageof 16 will be banned from several online platforms, in an effort to create safer environments.
The law states most major social media platforms must take “reasonable steps” to prevent young Australians from having accounts.
The Perth-based family with the social media name The Empire Family share videos of their lives to a YouTube audience of 1.7 million.
Parents Beck and Rebecca told Mamamia their children Charli, 14, and Prezley, 17, launched their online presence in 2018.
The Perth-based family with the social media name The Empire Family share videos of their lives to a YouTube audience of 1.7 million. Photo / Instagram
Seven years later, the family brand has garnered six million followers across its combined platforms and an ever-growing income.
Even as children, Charli and Prezley have created their own content on their personal platforms, which has landed them opportunities and brand deals.
The family made the controversial decision to ship their life across the world to London ahead of the ban to avoid losing everything they had built online.
“Australia has been our home for so long, it’s where The Empire Family began, where our kids grew up, and where so many of our memories were made. But sometimes, life takes you on a new adventure you never expected,” the family said on YouTube.
Mamamia reported they are leaving their home, their community and their country to ensure their daughter Charli can keep her job.
“When we heard that it was actually going to happen, we were like, ‘Okay, we need a solution because Charli loves being online’,” Rebecca told Mamamia.
Rebecca said they manage their teenagers’ accounts entirely after educating themselves on the risks.
“We always have a bit of a discussion about what we would like to share,” Rebecca said.
“We don’t share anything that is even remotely private. It’s stuff that you would share on Facebook or something like that.”
While Charli understands the importance of the Government’s intentions, she told Mamamia a blanket ban is not the best course of action.
“I honestly don’t think it’s going to stop teens from using social media. Kids and teens are really smart with tech now and most will just find ways around it,” she said.
Rebecca said she was worried that children would find an “underground” way, which could expose them to more unsupervised, harmful material.
She said as the internet was not going away, she believed it would be better to teach kids how to use it responsibly.
In New Zealand, meanwhile, National Party MP Catherine Wedd submitted a member’s bill to ban social media for under-16s, and it’s just been drawn from the biscuit tin, meaning it will be debated in Parliament.
The ban could include the removal of a huge number of underage accounts on the likes of Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
It will also include hefty fines for tech companies that breach the rules, such as not taking reasonable steps to incorporate age checks and prohibit young people from signing up.
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