Youth social media age restrictions: examining Trans-Tasman media coverage of Australia’s social media ‘ban’

Around the world, there are growing concerns about the harms youth experience on social networking platforms. However, the question of whether to restrict young people’s access to social media through legislative or policy mechanisms is widely contested. Understanding how the media portrays this debate is critical because the framing of policies, problems, supporters, and opponents can be powerful in shaping public opinion of youth and youth issues. This study aimed to examine how debate around Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age law was framed in Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand media coverage. Applying reflexive thematic analysis to 58 media texts located through a systematic search showed coverage was framed around four key themes: Protecting wellbeing; Protection from harmful content and actions; Protection for parents; and Protection of privacy. Together, these themes position youth as passive, vulnerable, and in need of protections, reinforcing dominant social constructions of youth and raising questions about how young people’s agency is framed and empowered in public discourse. Discussion argues efforts to improve youth wellbeing require moving beyond ‘moral panics’ and ‘quick fixes’ to co-creating policy solutions with youth, in ways that account for the broader social, economic, and political dimensions that shape young people’s lived experiences.