Screen time in Australia: the data behind a world-first experiment

The under-16 minimum age: what the law does

Under amendments to the Online Safety Act, 'age-restricted social media platforms' must take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from holding accounts. The obligation sits entirely on platforms, there are no penalties for children or parents, and as of 10 December 2025 it applies to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Reddit, Threads, X, Kick and Twitch, among others. Under-16s can still view public content without logging in, and messaging, gaming and education services are excluded. eSafety frames it as "a delay, not a ban": the target is the account-based design features, algorithmic feeds, notification streams, engagement mechanics, that the regulator links to harms to young people's health and wellbeing.

Six months in: the compliance picture

The enforcement story is moving quickly. eSafety's March 2026 implementation update flagged five platforms for age-check compliance issues, and its data showed roughly seven in ten underage children on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok still held accounts. A British Medical Journal study published in late June 2026 found 85% of surveyed 12–17-year-olds using restricted platforms, with self-declared ages and selfie uploads, the weakest verification methods, the most common checks encountered. Within days, the Prime Minister announced legislation to double maximum penalties to $99 million and give eSafety the power to compel platforms (and third parties like age-assurance providers) to produce evidence of their compliance efforts.

Whatever the eventual outcome, one implication is already clear for families: regulation is not, in the near term, a substitute for visibility at home. The accounts largely still exist; they are simply less discussed.

What Australian kids' screen use actually looks like

Measure	Figure	Source
Kids 8–12 who had used social media or messaging apps (pre-rules)	84%	eSafety Commissioner, 2024
Average daily screen time at home, Australian children (parent-reported)	4.5+ hours	RCH National Child Health Poll
Children exceeding national screen time recommendations	Majority, across all age groups	RCH National Child Health Poll
Australian children under 2 with regular screen time (vs guidance of none)	63%	RCH National Child Health Poll
Educators reporting declining student focus	78%	Gonski Institute, Growing Up Digital Australia
Teachers who say digital tech is a growing distraction	84%	Gonski Institute

Parents' concerns, and the official guidance

The Royal Children's Hospital National Child Health Poll, a national survey of Australian households, has repeatedly found excessive screen time to be the number one health concern parents hold for children, cited as a problem by more than 90% of parents, ahead of cyberbullying (second) and internet safety (third). Australia's official 24-Hour Movement Guidelines recommend no screen time before age 2, no more than an hour a day for ages 2–5, and no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time for ages 5–17, thresholds the RCH polling shows most Australian children exceed.

Australian adults are no exception to the global picture, averaging around six hours a day online per DataReportal's country data, meaning the family screen time conversation is rarely only about the kids.

For Australian parents navigating the new rules: eSafety maintains official guidance for families at esafety.gov.au, including which platforms are restricted, how age checks work, and conversation resources for talking with under-16s about the change.