Should children be banned from social media?

Senate holds hearing to consider measures to protect kids online

Forget being blocked on social media. How about children being banned? Australia began enforcing a social media ban for children under 16 on Wednesday, and in the US lawmakers are considering ways to improve protections for children. FOX 5's Josh Rosenthal has more.

WASHINGTON - Forget being blocked on social media. How about children being banned?

The backstory:

Australia began enforcing a social media ban for children under 16 on Wednesday. That means no TikTok, no Facebook, no Instagram, no YouTube, and more.

"By banning social media for those under 16, we’re giving children a childhood and parents more peace of mind," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a video posted to social media.

Tech companies that don't comply with the ban face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars, or about $33 million in the U.S.

What they're saying:

When FOX 5 asked people whether they'd support a similar ban in the U.S., reactions were mixed Tuesday in Northwest.

"There's a lot of predators online, and children do not have the sense of how to utilize social media themselves," said mom Robyn Harding, who was in support of a ban.

Others, like Curt Gammer, disagreed.

"Australia doesn’t have individual liberty like we do," he said. "I think it should be up to the parents like school choice or any other decision that a parent could make for their child."

Some people also lobbied for a more down-the-middle approach.

"I think there should be more regulations on social media, but I don’t think a ban outright is necessary," explained Naomi, who did not want to give her last name.

Big picture view:

There have been somewhat-related efforts to curtail social media use among children in the U.S.

That includes cell phone bans in schools. Some jurisdictions have also passed legislation aimed at keeping kids safe online.