It’s nearly December, which – if you’re a tween in Australia – means it’s just weeks until your TikTok and Snapchat accounts go dark. The nation down under is about to become the world’s first home of a total ban on social media for under-16s, with the blackout set to kick off on December 10. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

But what does that mean? Is it a good idea? Will it work? We have the answers.

What Australia’s ban will look like

About a year ago, when Australia first announced its upcoming social media ban for teens, the main reaction was probably confusion . How would such a ban be implemented? Which platforms would count as “social media”? What would happen to those accounts already run by under-16s? And –

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