Featured Post from Offline.now

Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban Isn’t a Finish Line - It’s a Reality Check

Offline.now founder Eli Singer says age limits can help, but only if we stop pretending policy can do the job of parenting, platforms, and practical habit skills.

Dec 17, 2025

2 min

Eli Singer

Australia’s move to restrict social media accounts for kids under 16 has become a global lightning rod - and it’s forcing the right conversation: what do we do when a technology is too powerful for a developing brain?


But here’s what I think journalists should focus on next:


“A ban is a speed bump, not a seatbelt. It might slow kids down - but it won’t teach them how to drive their attention.”


That’s the part that gets lost in the headlines. Because even if you can reduce access, you still have to deal with the why behind the behavior: boredom, social pressure, loneliness, stress, sleep debt.


“The headlines make it sound like the problem is solved. But the real question is: what happens in the living room on day three?”


Offline.now’s early data shows something important: most people genuinely want to change their screen habits, but many feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. That’s why we begin with a quick self-assessment and map people into four Types - Overwhelmed, Ready, Stuck, Unconcerned - so the advice matches the person.


“We keep treating social media like a self-control test. It’s not. It’s a confidence problem - people don’t know where to start, so they start with shame.”



What I’d tell policymakers considering similar bans


1. Pair friction with skills.


“If the only plan is ‘block the app,’ you’re betting against the internet. Workarounds aren’t a bug - they’re the default.”


2. Don’t outsource responsibility entirely to families.


“If policy turns parents into full-time bouncers and kids into part-time hackers, we’ve built a system that’s guaranteed to fail.”


3. Ask what gets protected, not just what gets restricted.


“The real target isn’t ‘screen time.’ It’s the moments screens replace.”



What parents need to know that headlines aren't telling them


  • This is a process, not a switch. The best “first phone / first social” plans are adjustable.
  • Modeling beats monitoring. The rules collapse if adults don’t follow them too.
  • Have a handoff plan. If a child’s mood, sleep, school performance, or withdrawal is deteriorating, it may be bigger than habits.



Why this is a late December / January story


“The holidays are the perfect storm: more free time, more family friction, more devices, less sleep. January is when the bill comes due.”


Journalist angles

  • Bans vs. behavior change: what policy can’t solve
  • The workarounds economy: age gates, bypass culture, privacy tension
  • The four Types: why one-size fits all screen-time advice fails families
  • New Year resets for families: simple, shame-free agreements that stick



Available for interviews

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Eli Singer

Eli Singer

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Mentor Coach for Neurodivergent Leaders & Technology Entrepreneurs

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When the bell rings for winter break, most parents worry their kids will “disappear into their phones.” What often goes unmentioned? The adults usually disappear into theirs first. New behavioral data from Offline.now, the digital wellness platform founded by author Eli Singer, shows we now spend about 10 of our 16 waking hours on screens, roughly 63% of our day. Kids off school are simply mirroring the digital norms they see at home. Executive Function Coach and child development specialist Craig Selinger says winter break is less a test of kids’ willpower and more a test of family norms: “If you want behavior change in kids, start with the parent model. A 12-year-old will not put their phone away at dinner if their parents won’t.” Selinger points to what he calls the “mobility problem”: what used to be a TV in the living room is now a device in your child’s pocket. “Mobility makes tech sticky - there’s no natural ‘show’s over’ when Minecraft and TikTok never end.” Offline.now’s experts note that high, especially late screen use is tied to disrupted sleep and next-day behavior in children and teens, exactly when parents say, “They’re monsters over break.” Selinger’s work with families suggests the answer isn’t banning devices outright, but changing what kids see adults do with theirs. When parents put phones in a basket at meals, leave devices out of bedrooms, and actually join “old school” activities: cooking, board games, hands-on hobbies, kids’ attention and confidence start to rebound: “Micro-independence beats micromanagement. If you engineer small wins off-screen - a 20-minute task kids can complete without their phone - you rebuild their real-world confidence one brick at a time.” Key message for journalists: Over winter break, the real story isn’t just “kids are on their phones all day.” It’s that adult behavior quietly sets the ceiling on what’s realistic for children. The most effective “screen-time rule” is the one parents are willing to follow themselves. Featured Expert Craig Selinger, M.S., CCC-SLP - Executive Function Coach and child development specialist (Brooklyn Letters), focused on how kids actually learn and how digital dependency affects attention, writing, family systems, and school success. Expert interview availability can be arranged through Offline.now’s media team.

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