Australia Social Media Ban: UNSW experts available for comment

UNSW experts are available to comment on the announcement of the new proposed laws banning Australians under 16 from signing up to social media platforms. 

Experts from UNSW Business School and UNSW Medicine & Health are available for comment with their area of expertise listed below. 

Professor Barney Tan, School of Information Systems and Technology Management, UNSW Business School is available to comment on the U16 Australian Social Ban. Prof. Tan has previously spoken to the media about mobile phone addiction among children, as well as international legislation governing social media and mobile gaming. He believes that appropriate social media use can benefit even children, stating, 'Social media is a window to the rest of the world, facilitating connection, expression, and information-sharing.' Prof. Tan’s research focuses on technology regulations and social media use. He can be reached at [email protected]. 

Researcher Samuel Cornell, a PhD candidate with UNSW’s School of Population Health, is available to comment on the physical safety risks that can be associated with social media use. He has conducted research on risk-taking behaviour associated with social media and is exploring how to effectively prevent this. He can be reached at [email protected] or 0459 924 434