The 36 Months Campaign – Is It Really About The Teens?

Note from Amanda, here at Shine From Within: We know lots of parents are quick to support this campaign and we absolutely see the merit in it. AND we wanted to get more information and insights from young people. So, we asked one of our Online Academy members and youth mentor, Madhu, a 21 year old Journalism graduate based in India, to interview some of our Australian teens and do a bit of research about whether something like this has been implemented anywhere else in the world. This is what she wrote…  🙂

The 36 Months Campaign – is it really about the teens?

By Madhumalika Bharani

How would it feel to have your right to free speech taken away because someone thought you were too young?

That’s what the 36 Months Campaign does to teens.

The 36 Months Campaign is a social change initiative that proposes an amendment in the legislation to raise the minimum age for Australian teens’ social media citizenship from 13 years to 16 years. The advocates of this campaign base their reasoning on the theory that teens between 13 and 16 years are
not emotionally mature enough to handle the potential risks and negative influences of social media.

They argue that increasing the minimum age will better protect young teens from cyberbullying, online predators, and mental health issues associated with excessive social media use.

“Each notification, like, or comment triggers a dopamine release, creating a reward loop that keeps teenagers engaged and returning for more. The anticipation of receiving these rewards and the pleasure derived from them can make social media usage addictive and difficult to resist.” (https://www.36months.com.au/)

This campaign claims that the thirty-six months between the ages of thirteen and sixteen should be used to keep teenagers away and shield them from the dangers of the internet by outlawing their access to popular social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Snapchat. This is based on research that suggests teens between the ages of thirteen and sixteen are in a critical psychological phase and are not ready to tackle social media.

Understandably, their concerns are legitimate, and they might even be headed in the right direction, but are they asking the teens what they want?

Looking at this from a factual point of view, more than protecting the teens, the 36 Months Campaign would deny them the opportunity to connect with, learn from, and understand the world around them.

Following interviews with some teenagers, I have come to the conclusion that this campaign might post the following significant drawbacks for teenagers:

For teenagers of today, social media is one of the primary ways to find a community. Vulnerable to stressors that they experience in their daily environment, like being bullied for their race, identity, sexuality, and more, teenagers often dive into social media and find solace in the community they
discover there. This community frequently consists of folks who have had similar experiences and can offer support and empathy. By limiting teenagers’ access to social media, the campaign would deprive them of an important source of connection and support at a critical point in their development.

One of the best examples of this is queer teenagers in hostile, homophobic situations. Depriving them of these networks and communities, which provide them with a rare opportunity to be out and proud, vent, and find acceptance and understanding, could prove to be detrimental to their mental health and
safety.

Additionally, this campaign instills fear more than it does anything to protect the teens. Instead of assuming that they are incapable, we must choose to educate them rather than seclude or isolate them from the knowledge and awareness that would potentially protect them better from the harmful
aspects of social media. By fostering this campaign, we would be diminishing the value of digital literacy in our daily lives.

In our digitally dependent age, social media provides teenagers with a wealth of material they can rely on to educate themselves, assist with research and projects, raise awareness, and so on. Banning social media will limit their access to critical and essential tools, knowledge, and opportunities for learning
and development. The internet also connects the world, and banning it would shut them off from current events as well as vital political, social, environmental, and human rights issues, all of which are critical for their development as informed and engaged citizens.

Teenagers play a vital role in social activism and campaigning for change, which they mostly conduct via social media. This means that denying them access would limit their chance to stay informed and participate in movements and discussions, resulting in the loss of significant and important
contributions to public discourse. Giving teens access to social media ensures that they are more prepared to make a constructive impact on society and contribute to positive change.

As part of my research, I wanted to see if other countries had taken comparable actions and how. Being from India, I am aware that youngsters beyond the age of 13 have access to social media, especially popular platforms such as Instagram. Europe has the Digital Services Act of 2023, which focuses on regulating how social media companies interact with children rather than prohibiting them. France passed a law last year, in 2023, that prohibits access to youngsters under the age of 15 unless allowed by a parent or guardian. Similarly, the United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act of 2023 holds social media corporations accountable for the safety of children and adults online.

Through these facts and interviews, we conclude that this campaign may not be the ideal solution or approach to protect teenagers from cybercrime. Instead of placing a blanket ban on social media and the internet, it may be more effective to teach teenagers how to use these platforms securely and
responsibly. Giving them the right tools and knowledge will enable them to make educated decisions and protect themselves from potential internet risks. We could also enact some necessary safety provisions and precautions that will give us the power to hold social media companies accountable for
their users’ safety.

Let’s not restrict them; instead, let’s equip teens with the tools to thrive in the digital age.

If you’ve got teens in your world, check out our Online Academy and also our online store for our book and conversation starter cards.

If you’d like to create nurturing, in-person experiences for teenagers and mentor them, then consider becoming a youth mentor! Here are a few things that might help you get started: 

• You can take the free quiz, ‘Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Youth Mentor?’ and discover your youth mentor archetype here. 
• You can listen to our podcast, The Youth Mentor Podcast here.
• You can download the free eBook, ‘How Working with Teens Changed Their Life and Business’ here.
• You can take the free training, ‘How to start and grow a youth mentor business’ here.

We also offer one-on-one mentoring for teenagers, and limited business coaching and consulting for more established businesses or folks who need a more personalised approach. Get in touch to enquire or request to book in a complimentary 15min call at info@shinefromwithin.com.au