Dr. Mark Schillinger, a family mentor who helps parents who struggle with teens and digital devices, is urging families to reframe how they see Australia’s recent social media restrictions.
Instead of a foreign curiosity that doesn’t touch their home, it should be seen as a practical prompt to reevaluate how phones are managed at home.
Within his podcast Challenging Teenage Sons, Dr. Schillinger breaks down the science behind adolescent phone dependence, the struggle of self-regulating, and provides parents with ways to enforce device limits without increasing conflict. Keep reading to learn more.
Australia’s Social Media Law
Australia’s new law, which went into effect on December 10th, 2025, requires all major platforms to prevent users under 16 from holding accounts. If they don’t, they may face fines of up to A$50 million.
The law has already forced platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, X, Reddit, Threads, Kick, and Twitch to take steps to close or block underage accounts. The law will be enforced by the eSafety Commissioner with monthly compliance reports from firms.
It has sparked two different reactions: praise from child advocates and criticism from privacy and free-speech groups.
Parents and Social Media
For parents, the Australian action prompts a broader question: with algorithms specifically designed to capture attention and adolescent brains susceptible to social rewards, how can families create healthier phone habits?
Dr. Schillinger sees the problem in two different ways, biological and relational. Teenagers already have a reduced capacity for impulse control, and their responsiveness to social cues creates the perfect storm for being online constantly. This is why simple admonitions to “stop using your phone” usually fail.
Instead, Dr. Schillinger recommends a different approach, listed below:
- Start with a nonjudgmental conversation that may address concerns the parent has (sleep, schoolwork, mood) and invites the teen to help create online limits.
- Separate consequences from punishment, as consequences are predicatable and help teach responsibility, while punishment breeds resistance.
- Use concrete, home-focused rules, such as device-free family meals, phone charged in a common area after bedtime, screen-free homework, etc., and apply consistently.
- Replace phone access with other activities, like in-person activities, chores tied to privileges, or scheduled family time.
- Create transition plans for lapses in phone use, leading to better accountability.
The Impact of Social Media
Each of these tactics reflects what the Australian government and child-safety advocates want to achieve at scale: reduced exposure to “predatory algorithms” and fewer online harms.
Reports have shown social media as a driver of anxiety, bullying, and exploitation. The government is even looking into how social media affects sleep, physical activity, and social behavior before and after the implementation of the new law.
However, it is not a perfect system. Many critics have noted that the risks may shift due to the ban, and of course, growing pains with implementing a new law.
Choosing Something You Can Control
For those parents living outside Australia, the takeaways are more practical than legal. Industry-wide solutions are still not concrete. Many platforms claim the measures are rushed and legally contestable.
Plus, the zero-account rule may not prevent children from seeing unmoderated content while browsing. They just won’t be able to log in, unless a platform does not permit anonymous browsing controls.
That separation reinforces Dr. Schillinger’s main message: focus energy on family systems you can control. Allowing teens to co-design their limits reduces rebellion, and using consequences as a learning opportunity preserves future relationships. Staying transparent is extremely important when enforcing your rules.
Industry monitoring and government evaluation will determine whether Australia’s new law is a success for youth behavior or simply moves the risk to another digital space.
In the meantime, parents can use these tips by Dr. Schillinger to keep their teens off their phones and participating in the family and the real world until they can successfully self-regulate their screen time.