REMEREDZAYI GUDYANGA | Australia moves first with under-16 social media ban, forcing a global reckoning

From an educational perspective, the potential benefits of such a ban are readily apparent. Teachers across South Africa and elsewhere increasingly work with learners whose attention spans are visibly shorter, whose reading endurance is limited and whose learning habits favour speed over depth.

Generation Alpha — raised on short videos, instant feedback and endless scrolling — often enters classrooms with minds already conditioned for constant stimulation. For education systems already under strain — characterised by large class sizes and limited psychosocial support — a reduction in these pressures may be viewed as a welcome intervention.