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December 2, 2024 | 02:16 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Australia prohibits children under the age of 16 from using social media. The regulation will take effect by the end of next year. The Australian government considers the ban important to protect children's well-being.
"Social media can harm children and today our law enforcement agency has passed a regulation. Parents can discuss this matter with their children. We support the messages from parents in Australia," said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as quoted by the ABC broadcasting station.
Regarding the ban, summarized from various sources, here are the negative impacts of social media on children.
1. Decrease in Brain Development
As reported by Antara, Psychologist from the University of Indonesia, A. Kasandra Putranto, stated that excessive use of social media can affect brain development and the psychological conditions of teenagers. According to her, teenagers who lack sleep at night are unable to show good academic performance. Moreover, they also experience an increased risk of mental health problems.
2. Decrease in Body Image
Quoted from Siloam Hospitals, the negative effects of social media are related to the body image of teenagers. Typically, teenagers compare themselves to others based on clothing, food, and holidays. This can lead to a decrease in self-esteem and self-image because of frequent comparison with others.
3. Victims of Cyberbullying
The use of social media by teenagers exposes them to various threats, such as cyberbullying. Teenagers can also become victims of cyberstalking, which is the use of online links to stalk and harm individuals. There is also the threat of cybergrooming, where perpetrators target minors for abuse, both online and physically.
4. Reduced Face-to-Face Interactions
While social media has a positive impact by facilitating interactions and expanding networks to express oneself to many people, it also has negative consequences such as the decrease in face-to-face interaction with people close to them.
5. Pornography
Advancements in technology make it easier to access many negative things, such as pornography content on social media. Moreover, social media leads many individuals to have no boundaries, inadvertently seeking prohibited content.
6. Disrupting Sleep Quality
Children and teenagers addicted to social media often experience sleep disorders because they cannot detach from their gadgets. Additionally, poor sleep quality leads to decreased physical development, such as eye fatigue and nearsightedness.
ANTARA | SILOAM HOSPITALS | SUCI SEKARWATI
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