TL;DR
Australia enacted a law in 2025 raising the minimum age to 16 for social media accounts, prompting international debate. Authors Jon Haidt and Ravi Iyer argue 16 (not 15) and no parental-consent exceptions are the best policy, citing puberty-related brain development and enforcement benefits of a simple rule.
What happened
In 2025 Australia passed a law making 16 the minimum age to open or maintain social media accounts, a move that sparked widespread discussion among parents, journalists and policymakers worldwide. Coverage, including a Bloomberg round-up, indicates other countries have introduced or are considering similar restrictions. In an essay, Jon Haidt and Ravi Iyer recommend that nations follow Australia’s lead and set the minimum at 16 rather than 15, and avoid parental-consent exceptions. They argue that puberty is a sensitive period of brain development during which repeated experiences shape neural circuits, making early adolescence especially vulnerable to the effects of prolonged social media use. The authors warn parental-consent carve-outs would recreate a social pressure problem whereby families undercut collective restraint, and they contend that a single, simple legal age across jurisdictions would be easier for platforms to enforce and for the public to understand.
Why it matters
- Puberty is described as a sensitive developmental window; exposure to social media during this time may have long-lasting effects on brain wiring and identity formation.
- A uniform minimum age simplifies enforcement for platforms and reduces opportunities for underage users to exploit differing national rules.
- Allowing parental consent at younger ages risks recreating social pressure dynamics that undermine collective protections for adolescents.
- Policy choices now will shape the social and mental-health environment for a large cohort of adolescents for years to come.
Key facts
- Australia enacted a social media age-limit law in 2025 setting the minimum account age at 16.
- Authors Jon Haidt and Ravi Iyer recommend 16 as the minimum age and oppose parental-consent exceptions.
- Puberty typically begins between ages 8–13 for girls and about a year or two later for boys in developed nations, per the authors.
- Median timing for reaching late-stage physical puberty (Tanner stage 5) is cited as about 15–16 for girls and around 16–17 for boys.
- The average adolescent in the U.S. reportedly spends about five hours per day on social media, according to the essay.
- Self-regulation skills continue developing through adolescence and into the mid-20s, the authors note.
- The writers argue that a simple, widely adopted age limit makes compliance and enforcement easier for global platforms.
- Bloomberg reported countries where legislation has been or will be introduced; France is mentioned as considering 15 as an option.
What to watch next
- Whether additional countries adopt 16 as the minimum age or choose lower thresholds such as 15 (France is named as a possible case).
- How platform enforcement evolves if more jurisdictions adopt a uniform age limit versus a patchwork of national rules.
- Debates over parental-consent exceptions and whether lawmakers follow the authors’ recommendation to disallow them.
Quick glossary
- Puberty: The biological process during which a child’s body matures into an adult body capable of reproduction; timing varies across individuals and populations.
- Sensitive period: A developmental phase when the brain is particularly responsive to environmental inputs, making experiences especially influential.
- Collective action trap: A situation where individuals make suboptimal choices because they are influenced by what others do, producing a worse outcome for the group.
- Parental consent: A legal allowance permitting parents to authorize activities or services for their minor children that would otherwise be restricted by age.
Reader FAQ
What law did Australia pass?
Australia enacted a law in 2025 that sets the minimum age to open or maintain social media accounts at 16.
Why do the authors favor 16 instead of 15?
They argue that many adolescents—especially boys—are still in puberty at 15, and that the additional year reduces exposure during a sensitive developmental window.
Do the authors support parental-consent exceptions for younger teens?
No; they argue parental-consent carve-outs would reintroduce social pressure and undermine collective protection.
Are other countries adopting similar laws?
Bloomberg reported that multiple countries have introduced or will introduce legislation; specific national actions beyond Australia are not fully detailed in the source.
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Sources
- Every country should set 16 as the minimum age for social media accounts
- Why do you think Australia and France are imposing a social media ban …
- Children should be at least 16 to access social media, say MEPs
- Should There By Social Media Age Restrictions?
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