As a 15-year-old, Edie Roff had mixed feelings in the lead-up to the social media ban last year. Now that it hasn't worked, her feelings are still mixed.

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"No TikTok?!" Like most young people, the prospect of last year's world-leading social media ban brought fear and a confused idea of what life would be like without my favourite apps.

As 15-year-olds on the edge of the ban's restrictions, my friends and I went through something similar to the five stages of grief, mourning platforms that had become a large part of my social connection.

When the ban was announced, I did not believe that it would happen.

The government was talking about implementing social media restrictions for a long time, so I assumed that this "ban" would be no different: empty promises with no sustainable plan to take action.

Because I did not believe that it was going to happen, I ignored it altogether and refused to even entertain the possibility of life without my beloved Snapchat and Instagram.

As information and coverage surrounding the social media ban started to surface, the facts became inescapable, and the restrictions that we would supposedly face became real and daunting.

Then came the outrage, annoyance and frustration at the idea of a society in which teens and young people would no longer be able to communicate with their friends or enjoy social media in the same way.

My friends and I were enraged at the prospect of not texting each other during long holiday breaks, updating each other hourly on what we were doing, organising hangouts and sending each other videos - activities that have defined our lives since we were 12 or 13.

After anger came bargaining, not with reality, but by looking for a way around the ban by creating alternate accounts, using parents' identification for age verification or changing birthdays to avoid the restrictions.

Personally, I use social media mostly on the bus to entertain myself on the boring trips, so I knew that, if the ban was successful, I would need to fill the void, an idea I did not like and refused to accept.

One week out from the ban, and it started to feel real, the looming doomsday for my social life coming closer by the second, a ticking time bomb to the end of the world, or at least our Instagram accounts.

While I understood the reason and justification for the ban and agreed with the importance of prioritising youth mental health, it did not stop me from feeling sad and upset that I would no longer be able to post a fun Instagram dump or text my friends when something interesting happens. I would miss just having them, and the world, one click away.

On the morning of December 10, the day of the ban, I woke up and immediately rushed towards my devices to see if it had finally happened, to see if it had all gone.

Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, it was all still there, my accounts still active, every video, like, message available.

I went onto my groupchat to see if anyone was out there.

One of my friends had texted, "Did anyone get banned?" to which we all replied "no", one after the other.

In this last stage of grief and mourning for what I thought would be the end of my beloved socials, the only thing that I was required to accept was that it had not worked for me and I still had everything.

I was still on, my friends were still on, and everything was normal.

And while 4.7 million young people were booted off social media, I know about four of them.

However, the eSafety Commissioner is adamant that the success is measured by the reduction of damage.

"While some kids may find creative ways to stay on social media, it's important to remember that just like other safety laws we have in society, success is measured by reduction in harm and in re-setting cultural norms," Julie Inman Grant said in January 2026.

To be honest, I felt a mix of emotions when the ban proved unsuccessful. I was relieved that it was all still there, while worried that it would just kick in later. But a part of me did wish that the ban had worked, that I would have an excuse to give up those platforms that I spend so much time on and take a deep breath away from the devices.

I would never delete the platforms myself, mostly down to fear of missing out or being disconnected as it is such a huge part of my social life.

But I do think if everyone was booted off, forced to interact solely in person, it could have been a positive thing.

So, while I have not directly been affected, society will have to wait and see if this world-leading ban on under 16s will have the impact promised, and whether the world will follow.

Edie Roff is a Year 10 student at Merici College.

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