Social media ban will see kids switch from feeds to Fortnite

Description

The article examines how Australia’s new under-16 social media restrictions will shift children’s everyday communication from traditional feeds into the online worlds they already use most. Rather than disconnecting teens, the ban is likely to redirect conversations into game-based platforms such as Minecraft, Roblox and Fortnite spaces that function as digital parks where young people meet, talk and create. I argue that the challenge for adults is not the disappearance of social media, but the need to understand the participatory environments where young people actually socialise. He outlines how platforms like Discord and private game servers shape communication, why visibility differs from participation, and what targeted digital literacy and parental engagement look like in this new landscape. The piece calls for familiarity over fear, emphasising that young people’s need for connection will continue in the online spaces that already feel natural to them.