Canberrans are no fan of social media, but they're no fan of a ban on it either.
On the day Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced he had secured agreement with the states and territories for the 16-year-old age limit for social media apps, parents and those who would be affected by the ban who spoke to The Canberra Times were ambivalent about the value of social media, but none thought the ban was the perfect solution.
Josie Lennane, who would have to give up her use of TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat if the ban was in place, said she could see the benefits and drawbacks of the ubiquitous apps.
"It can go both ways. In some ways it can be really good for activism and stuff like that; it's a great way to get information and you can connect with people who have similar political views as you and to talk to them about it," the O'Connor teen said.
"But then there are a lot of people in my life who have been affected by social media negatively and have had really negative outcomes.
"But some of those people have been over the age limit that we're talking about."
So far, Labor has committed to introducing the threshold before the next election, but key details of which platforms will be included in the ban and what age verification method will be used are still to be worked out.
Matt Laurence-Roger, whose daughter Stella does not use any social media apps apart from direct messaging services, said he was more comfortable with age-appropriate social media platforms.
"There are versions of social media that have got more guardrails, you decide who is going to talk to who," the Watson dad said.
"I think that's good."
Many experts have also expressed doubts about the course the government is taking.
The director of digital education at La Trobe University, Dr Alexia Maddox, said while there is widespread agreement that excessive social media use can cause problems for children, the solution is up for debate.
"The research community is divided on this issue. Some experts advocate for access restrictions, while others emphasise digital rights and the importance of developing online resilience."
Harrison mum Jade Spinaze shared a similar sentiment.
"It is a good idea, but I find that it could be really hard to implement," Ms Spinaze said.
Her daughter Ruby, 14, said she preferred not having access to social media. But she expected her peers would find a way around a ban.
While parents and kids were supportive of getting off social media and spending more time talking face-to-face, they also asked how they would stay in contact with geographically distant family and friends.
Mr Albanese said legislation for the ban will be introduced into Parliament this month. The ban would begin 12 months after the legislation passed both houses.
