As Australian kids and teens start their first full year barred from social media, a new study has shed more light on how it affects young peoples' health.
The ban, which came into force on December 10, means age-restricted social media platforms need to take reasonable measures to prevent under-16s in Australia from opening a new account or accessing a pre-existing one.
Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube are all considered to be age-restricted platforms.
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But a new Adelaide University study suggested the question of social media's impact on children's mental health was more complex than anticipated.
Researchers analysed the wellbeing and after-school social media usage of more than 100,000 Australian children in grades 4 to 12 over three years.
They were all categorised as non-users, moderate users, or high users of social media.
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For girls, non-users displayed the highest levels of well-being among grades 4 to 6, but by middle school, moderate users had the best well-being.
High usage was consistently linked to poor mental health among girls in general.
Among boys, the researchers found moderate users and non-users had similar wellbeing outcomes up to grade 6, but from grade 7 onwards, non-used was increasingly linked to poor mental health.
For grades 10 to 12, non-use was a bigger factor in poor mental health for boys than high usage.
Researchers said the findings showed both heavy use and social media abstinence may have risks for young people, who are at risk of social isolation.
Nonetheless, the federal government has hailed the ban as a world first and it has been noted by countries around the world, with global leaders suggesting they may enact their own version depending on how Australia's goes.
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