In recent years, debates over social media’s impact on children have intensified, with many voices calling for government intervention, stricter age limits, and regulatory restrictions.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently announced plans to legislate an age limit of 16 years for social media access, targeting platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Labor’s policy, which promises penalties for platforms that fail to comply, says it aims to shield young people from potential harms online.

Yet the government cannot provide specifics of enforcing this age limit and have left it to tech companies to create their own processes.

These calls for external controls overlook the deeper issue in society.

At the heart of child development and resilience lies the role of parenting – a role that cannot be replaced or diminished by governmental measures.

Rather than imposing age limits on technology, we should be examining how we can empower and remind parents to fulfil their roles, to discipline their children and impose limits where they see necessary.

A parent’s influence is profound, shaping a child in ways that define their adulthood. From instilling values to teaching boundaries, a parent’s role is to prepare their child for the complexities of life, instilling resilience, empathy, and responsibility.

This influence is irreplaceable.

No age limit on social media nor government policy can replicate the crucial impact of a strong parent-child relationship, built on trust, guidance, and, when needed, discipline.

Yet, instead of recognising and reinforcing this essential role, we seem increasingly inclined to blame technology, social media, or even ‘youth culture’ for what ultimately are failures in guidance and boundaries.

By focusing exclusively on social media tech giants as scapegoats, we overlook the vital responsibility of parents to foster their children’s ability to navigate digital spaces thoughtfully and healthily.

Rather than seeing social media as an inevitable and unavoidable danger, parents have the power to contextualise it for their children, setting boundaries, discussing the pitfalls of screen addiction, and modelling healthy habits themselves.

One of the critical challenges modern parents face is the pervasive expectation that children will inevitably be ‘sucked into’ digital worlds filled with dopamine-driven distractions.

But is this truly inevitable?

Is it not possible, with the right parental guidance, for children to develop a critical perspective toward the digital landscape, to resist its addictive lures, and to appreciate it as just one part of a larger world?

Why not encourage and support parents to develop strong, positive relationships with their children that guide them in using social media responsibly?

Why rely on the government or corporations to take on a disciplinary role that parents are uniquely equipped to handle?

In framing social media and technology as adversaries, we also overlook the potential for positive engagement and, more importantly, the position parents play in modelling and teaching this perspective.

While no parent is perfect, it is through their choices, guidance, and even their mistakes that children learn responsibility.

Parenting has undoubtedly become more challenging in an age of technology. But while this presents obstacles, it also offers unique opportunities for teaching and the importance of accountability and discipline.

Children look to their parents as their primary example, and by demonstrating boundaries, healthy self-control, and a willingness to discuss difficult topics – including the risks and responsibilities associated with social media – parents can equip their children to make wise decisions independently.

The government cannot take the place of a parent, nor should it.

It is the responsibility and privilege of parents to guide their children through the challenges of growing up in the digital age.

Instead of simply banning children from social media, let’s empower and remind the people who know them best – their parents – to teach them how to engage with it wisely.