Leo Puljizi was only 11 years old when he started his online news channel.
What began as a passion project during his final year of elementary school has grown into a 24/7 service reporting on fires and the pandemic, and airing interviews with two prime ministers.
Now aged 17, Puljizi has assembled a team of 10 teenagers across Australia, almost all still in high school, to run Channel 6 News on platforms such as YouTube, X, Instagram, TikTok.
If the federal government in Australia had banned teenagers under the age of 16 from using social media six years ago, his life would look very different today.
"6 News would not exist," said Puljizi. "It would really take away something that I love to do. It's my passion. It's a source of news for people now. But it would all be destroyed."
Last Thursday, the federal government passed a ban on social media for under-16s in the Senate. The Act introduces the term "age-restricted social networking platforms" into the Online Safety Act. This will apply to platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, X and Reddit.
Although the government proposed the law due to serious concerns about the impact of social networks on the mental health of young people, some experts are cautious and believe that the ban could have counter-effects. For some teenagers who create online content, the ban could close the door to opportunity, stifle creativity and stunt their development, they warn.
Puljizi built his channel thanks to teenagers as young as 13, who were interested in his work and wanted to get involved.
"These are all just young people who are really interested in elections, journalism and media, and they really wanted to do this," says Puljizi. He believes that the ban "stifles creativity among young people" and adds that "it would only take away all those opportunities."
Maggie Perry, who is 15, has been reporting for 13 News since she was 6. He says social media offers "so many opportunities" for teenagers, "so many endless opportunities that just don't exist in the real world." "I love having an audience to share my ideas with," Perry says. But she points out that she finds it "mostly a lot of fun." "A lot of people have their own online communities... They may have specific interests, but there's always room for that on social media."
The fact is that our children will grow up in a world where digital technologies and social networks in various forms will be dominant. We must introduce them gradually, with support and guidance, into the world they will inhabit, said Tird
However, the social media ban means "I wouldn't be able to do anything for 6 News". "I wouldn't be able to use any of my platforms, except maybe YouTube," she concludes.
Maggie, who reported on the elections, is also followed by some MPs on social networks. "Even they, I guess, voted to ban me from social media," she says.
For Will Haynes, a 16-year-old musician, social media was a way to connect with artists and listeners around the world. He has been playing music since he was 13, and started posting on social media soon after. "It definitely opened doors for me," Will says. "They connected me to a lot of people in the industry and different artists, and also helped me expand my audience and get new people."
"I also love that I can shape my online identity and my brand as an artist on social media," he adds.
In March, Haynes performed as an opening act for the famous singer Budjerah, and then performed with him at the Vivid festival in Sydney this year. "I think both of those opportunities came about because of social media and G-mail," he says.
"I have a feeling that my audience, which is slowly expanding in other countries, is probably largely the result of Instagram reels and YouTube." Haynes admits that social media has its downsides.
"Constantly creating content for social media is extremely exhausting," Will says, adding, "It can also be demoralizing if you don't attract a large audience." However, he points out that the ban on social networks "would definitely affect me as a young musician". "Maybe it would allow me to focus more on the music itself... but I think it would have a negative effect because it would be much harder to grow."
The social media ban in Australia is being introduced in response to concerns about the impact of social media on young people's mental health, including issues related to the perception of their physical appearance, violence and other harmful content.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said while social media can be "a source of entertainment, education and connection with the world and others", for too many young Australians it can be harmful. Rowland also pointed to eSafety research, which shows that parents consider online safety one of their biggest challenges.
However, Professor Amanda Tird, one of the directors of the Center for Youth and Resilience Research at the University of Western Sydney, warns that the debate over banning social media is too dependent on parental anxiety. She is one of the signatories of an open letter from social media experts to politicians, expressing concern that the ban could have harmful consequences.
"I am aware that as a society we are not doing enough to support parents in their role, to raise children in the digital age," she says. "But social networks are firmly integrated into the everyday lives of children and young people."
"They use them to achieve a whole range of things that support their well-being, proper growth and development, their participation rights, health, education, and many other things, including entertainment."
Tird acknowledges the existence of "a very clear counterargument that people have been learning about themselves for millennia without social networks." "But the fact is that our children will grow up in a world where digital technologies and social networks in various forms will be dominant." "We must introduce them gradually, with support and guidance, into the world they will inhabit," she concludes.
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