Few would dispute the need to protect children online. As global concerns grow over cyberbullying, online predators and excessive screen time, Thai child advocates and lawmakers are increasingly pointing to Australia's landmark social media ban as a model worth considering. Yet Australia's experience suggests the issue is far more complex than simply passing a law.
Last year, Australia became the first country to prohibit children under 16 from holding accounts on major social media platforms. The legislation was widely hailed as a bold attempt to address growing concerns over the impact of social media on young people. However, early evidence suggests that many children continue to access social media despite the restrictions.
According to a Reuters report, researchers from Australian software testing company KJR successfully created 50 accounts across platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube and X. They found that none of the accounts was required to undergo meaningful age verification despite the new legal requirements. Instead, the systems appeared to rely heavily on self-declared ages.
The findings highlight an uncomfortable reality. The problem is not that children refuse to provide their age. Rather, many appear to be entering false birth dates or creating accounts that claim they are older than they are. Australian teenagers interviewed by ABC News described how they could simply open new accounts after existing ones were blocked, while others reported using alternative credentials to bypass restrictions.
Australia's experience is particularly relevant as Thailand confronts genuine concerns over the impact of excessive screen use on children.
Assoc Prof Dr Adisak Plitponkarnpim, head of the Child Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Centre at Ramathibodi Hospital, cited findings from a survey of Thai children aged six to 14 that paint a troubling picture.
According to Dr Adisak, 70% of children use mobile phones for more than two hours a day. Half use their devices before bedtime, affecting sleep quality, while 62% have low levels of physical activity. The survey also found that 80% of usage is for entertainment rather than educational purposes, and that many applications children access contain violent content that may encourage aggressive behaviour.
More worrying is the impact on younger children whose brains are still developing, he said. Children under 13 are still building long-term memory and have not yet fully developed abstract thinking skills.
"Excessive exposure to digital media can weaken interpersonal communication skills, contribute to autism-like social withdrawal in younger children and blur the distinction between the real and virtual worlds among older children," he said.
These concerns should not be dismissed.
Prof Pruet Siribanpitak of Chulalongkorn University echoed the warning that exposing children aged 0-13 to advanced technologies too early carries significant risks. He said children in these formative years learn primarily through interactions with parents, teachers and others. Overreliance on technology may produce children with strong digital skills but weaker social understanding and empathy.
Social media companies generate revenue through engagement. More users mean more advertising income. Strict age verification introduces additional barriers to registration and could reduce user growth. From a business perspective, companies have little incentive to make access more difficult.
In other words, platforms may have little interest in seeing such legislation succeed, as an effective Australian model could encourage similar regulations elsewhere. Governments can pass laws, but enforcement often depends on multinational technology companies whose commercial interests may not align with regulatory goals. Thailand should therefore avoid viewing an age-based ban as a silver bullet.
A more effective approach may involve a combination of stronger digital literacy programmes, clearer guidance for parents, media education in schools and tougher action against platforms that fail to remove illegal or harmful content. Equally important, policymakers should ensure that technology companies, device manufacturers and content creators share responsibility for protecting children online.
Before Thailand follows Australia's path, policymakers should recognise a simple truth: passing a law is the easy part. Ensuring that global social media platforms genuinely enforce it is a far greater challenge. Unless that challenge is addressed, bans may generate more headlines than meaningful protection for children.
Karnjana Karnjanatawe is Deputy News Editor of the Bangkok Post.
