88% of parents back Australia's under-16 social media ban, yet most scroll daily
Representative image: Surprising_Media / Pixabay
An Edith Cowan University and Playgroup WA survey of 726 parents, released in October 2026, found 88% back the under-16 ban while 67% post their children's photos.
What Happened
Most parents of young children in Western Australia support their country's ban on social media for under-16s, even though almost all of them use social media every day themselves, according to a survey report by Edith Cowan University (ECU) and the parenting organisation Playgroup WA released in the week of 8 October 2026. The researchers surveyed 726 parents of children aged 0 to 8 about how they use social media and how it affects their parenting. Eighty-eight per cent backed the under-16 ban, and 67 per cent said they had posted photographs of their own children online.
Key Facts
- The survey covered 726 Western Australian parents of children aged 0 to 8.
- 88% supported Australia's ban on social media accounts for children under 16, which took effect on 10 December 2025.
- 92% of the parents use social media, and 96% of those use it every day; 99% of users reach it on a mobile phone.
- 44% said social media has a somewhat or extremely negative effect on their lives, against 22% who reported a positive effect.
- 67% said they had posted photos of their children online, despite stated worries about privacy.
- Nearly half said children should be at least 16 before they get an internet-enabled smartphone.
- ECU senior lecturer Catherine Archer led the research; Playgroup WA chief executive Annette Harwood said parents want support rather than judgment.
Why It Matters
The findings capture a tension that many families, in India as much as in Australia, will recognise. Parents want limits for their children, yet their own phones are part of almost every waking hour. Children learn habits by watching adults, so a rule that applies only to the child can feel inconsistent at home. The survey does not accuse parents of hypocrisy; it shows how hard it is to model the behaviour they want when the same apps run their own social lives, work and family chats.
The figure on photographs is the one most parents may want to pause on. Two in three respondents had shared pictures of their children online, a practice often called "sharenting", while also saying they worried about privacy. Young children cannot consent to a digital footprint that may follow them for years. Every photo shared today becomes part of a record the child did not choose.
The researchers describe the survey as one of the first to ask parents for their views since Australia's ban was introduced. Because the ban is so new, studies like this one are an early look at how families feel about it in practice. A separate national study by research institutes in Western Australia is following families before and after the ban to see what actually changes.
The researchers also stress the limits of the sample. It covers parents in one Australian state who have young children, so it cannot be read as the view of all parents, or of parents of teenagers who are directly affected by the ban.
| Australian survey at a glance | Share of parents |
|---|---|
| Support the under-16 social media ban | 88% |
| Use social media (all respondents) | 92% |
| Have posted photos of their children online | 67% |
| Say social media harms their life | 44% |
| Say social media improves their life | 22% |
Impact
Short-term: Parenting groups and schools can use the findings to shape advice that covers adults' screen habits, not just children's.
Long-term: As more countries weigh age limits for social media, evidence on how families live with such rules will feed into how those laws are designed and enforced.
Who is affected: Parents of young children, especially mothers who often manage family photos and group chats, as well as educators, child-safety bodies and policymakers.
Key Takeaway
Parents strongly back keeping children off social media until 16, but the same survey shows most of them rely on it daily and share their children's pictures online.
Questions and Answers
What did the Edith Cowan University and Playgroup WA survey find?
Of 726 Western Australian parents of children aged 0 to 8, 88% supported Australia's under-16 social media ban, 96% of those who use social media use it daily, and 67% had posted photos of their children online.
When did Australia's social media ban for under-16s start?
The ban took effect on 10 December 2025. It requires social media platforms to stop children under 16 from holding accounts.
Does the survey represent all Australian parents?
No. It surveyed parents in Western Australia with children aged eight or younger, so its results describe that group and may differ from parents of teenagers or families in other states.
What can parents take from the findings?
That children's screen habits are shaped at home as well as by law. Checking what you post about your children, and setting phone-free times that apply to adults too, are practical steps the findings point towards.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
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Reported, fact-checked and published by the Peepals Global Editorial Team.
