Society

AARON PATRICK: Despite overwhelming public support for banning children from some sites, the rule could drive teenagers to dark parts of the internet.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The top 10 video games of 2025 spotlight artistic indies, nostalgia and mysteries amid chaotic times in the real world.

Lemon8, a hugely popular new social media app which Australian teens were turning to as an alternative to Instagram, is now banned for under 16s.

Alternative social media platforms like Lemon8, Yope and Coverstar have soared up app store charts as young users shift away from banned apps such as TikTok and Snapchat.

Here are some top tips for parents navigating the social media ban for Australians under the age of 16.

LORRAINE FINLAY: If you think handing over your identification is risk-free, think again.

Criminals keen to fleece Aussie shoppers of millions of dollars are ramping up efforts to intercept purchases and parcel deliveries during the frenzied Christmas shopping period. This is what you need to know.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Algorithmic media companies exploit the difference between our attentional instincts and aspirations. In so doing, they make it harder for us to become who we might wish to be.

Australian mums say tech-savvy teens will dodge the under-16 social media ban, exploiting age-check flaws and loopholes.

Parents have been warned to strap in for ‘dopamine withdrawal’ tantrums triggered by Australia’s social media ban.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Australia is trying to keep children under 16 off the likes of TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube and Instagram with a new law. The teenagers are sceptical.

TikTok has urged young users to download their content just days out from Australia’s social media ban coming into effect on December 10. 

A Cancer Council sunscreen has been urgently recalled after regulators warned it may not provide full sun protection, with customers told to stop using it immediately.

Australians searching online for porn will soon see images appear differently as new eSafety rules come into force.

MARK RILEY: As new social media platforms pop up to side step the ban, we must keep sight of the reason this law was drafted.