ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
A farm kid from our town’s limits is bracing himself after learning about the government’s proposed social media ban for kids under 16.
The Albanese Government’s plan to cut off social media access for under-16s has sparked concerns about isolation among teens, particularly in rural areas where communication options are already limited. For 15-year-old Jamie O’Connor, this means reverting to pre-internet solutions that most of the country left behind decades ago.
“I guess I’ll be texting my mates after 8pm again, just like it’s 2002,” said Jamie.
“Mum and Dad used to tell me about it. You’d wait until it was free and then you could text and call. Mum was once called ‘Brisbane Chick’ in Dad’s phone, you know. I guess I’ll be phoning my mates now and having a chinwag. Or texting them via SMS.”
The Optus “Yes Time” era, which allowed for free calls between 8pm and midnight, was a lifeline for many teens in the early 2000s, especially in rural areas where mobile phone towers were few and far between. Now, with spotty internet at the family farm and a possible social media ban on the horizon, Jamie is worried he’ll have to go back to those awkward 15-minute bursts of conversation with his friends.
“If I’m not allowed to use Snapchat or Insta, I’ll be stuck sending SMS again, and at this rate, I’ll be waiting till Mum finishes on the landline,” Jamie sighed.
“And then what, I just call up Liam and shoot the shit with him for 14 minutes and 59 seconds? Who the hell does that?”
For farm kids like Jamie, who rely on social media to stay connected with the outside world, the ban feels like a massive step backwards, even more so when the internet is as reliable as a third-hand whipper snipper.
In Canberra, they don’t care.
More to come.
