Christmas unplugged: Australian teen social media ban brings holiday headspace woes

Annie Wang, 14, and Ayris Tolson, 15, use their mobile phones, ahead of Australia’s social media ban for users under 16, which is scheduled to take effect on December 10, in Sydney, Australia, November 22, 2025. REUTERS/Hollie Adams

SYDNEY, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Sydney teenager Ayris Tolson believes the start of her first summer holiday under Australia's youth social media ban will be relatively easy as she spends time with family, but as the weeks drift by, she fears being alone and isolated.

From December 10, Australia will impose a world-first social media ban on under-16s, blocking them from TikTok, Alphabet's YouTube and Meta's Instagram.