00:00Mum-of-two Jane Dutton had been keeping a close eye on the research behind social media
00:08bans for under-16s.
00:10I completely agreed with everything I was reading and I thought I need to have made
00:15the move.
00:16I shouldn't have done it in the first place is the first thought that I had and then thought
00:20now I need to kind of backpedal out of this.
00:22Rather than wait for the government bans to kick in, Jane has had a conversation with
00:27her children and shut down their social media.
00:30She's let their friends know her kids will still be contactable through text message.
00:35They took it pretty well and every day they've said something positive about it whereas I
00:41thought it would be really challenging for them.
00:44While the bans have been debated in federal parliament, it will be in homes across Australia
00:50where the impact of the legislation is felt and for many young people social media has
00:56become a big part of their lives.
00:59It's a big step and I think it is necessary but so many people that I personally know
01:04would just try and find a way around it.
01:06My greatest advice to the parents and carers of teenagers now is to work with their teenager.
01:11We need to understand what needs are being met by the social media use, whether it's
01:16relationship needs, mental health needs, information gathering needs.
01:20Even with the bans, parents are being warned they'll need to remain vigilant.
01:25And what we'll see is young people going into much darker and more dangerous places
01:30on the internet than they are today and it will actually drive help seeking underground.
01:35Jane Dutton is well aware her social media ban doesn't mean job done but for now she
01:42and her family are enjoying the break.
01:44There's just not that constant sound of the buzzing in our house, four phones, constant
01:51notifications and they are hundreds of them so I think it's been a positive response all round.
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