Australia bans social media for minors

The Australian government placed a social media ban on adolescents in Australia, under the age of 16 years old, to safeguard children from mental health issues. Governments around the world began to consider regulations on social media use for minors, and educators are beginning to question how these policies would reshape teenage life, technology use and advertising practices.

“Many studies reveal that social media use may be detrimental to developing brains, particularly for teens and adolescents,” Theresa Barnes, the school’s marketing teacher, said. “Governments are trying to gain more control over the influence social media has on students, especially at a school age, because it affects focus and learning in school.”

While restrictions aim to reduce harm, they raise questions about the consequences of teenagers losing access to nationwide social media.

“If there was a complete ban on social media, students would lie about their age to get around it,” Barnes said. “In the case they are unable to, hopefully students would spend more time in person with friends and family.”

The potential ripple effect extends beyond teenagers: social media platforms are the primary way to reach young consumers, but new regulations could change that dynamic.

“If social media were restricted [in the United States], we would see less direct marketing towards teens,” Barnes said. “Many products are marketed heavily toward teenagers, so losing their audience would make brands lose visibility.” 

Even though regulations may be put in place, Barnes believes students should know how to navigate social media.

“I believe schools should have more conversations about digital literacy, how to use social media appropriately and what to look out for,” Barnes said. “Students are already aware of what is AI [artificial intelligence] and what is not, so it is about having conversations rather than just preaching.”

Although the policy is in Australia, social media use is global. It is proven that technology is addictive, so addressing the challenges of social media differs based on levels of reliance toward technology.

“Education is important, but social media is so addictive that education alone is not enough,” Barnes said. “There should be some restrictions, along with education, so people understand why limits exist.”

by Kai Strzelecki

Thailand-Camodia border dispute displaces over 800,000

The second escalation of the ongoing, long-standing border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia involves a series of airstrikes and attempts at capturing border towns, displacing over 800,000 people as casualties continue to rise. 

Conflicts originated from centuries of cultural rivalry, colonial-era treaties and contested territorial claims over temples on the border. In 1863, Cambodia became a protectorate of France for 90 years, resulting in vaguely defined borders. During this time, France forced Siam, or modern Thailand, to secede territory through the 1907 Franco-Siamese treaty, which defined much of the modern borders between the two. When Cambodia eventually became independent, Thai forces attempted to reclaim the Temple of Preah Vihear. To challenge this, Cambodia took the case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) arguing the temple’s cultural importance, where ICJ ruled in favor of Cambodia owning the Temple of Preah Vihear but left the surrounding land unclearly defined. 

Both countries attempted to keep peace until recently, as their economies are dependent on tourism, which would be majorly discouraged if war emerged. This ambiguous definition over the 500-mile border took a sharp turn in May when a skirmish emerged at the temple, resulting in a Cambodian soldier’s death. Tensions rose, and on July 23 the first major escalation occurred across 12 border sites. This initial wave of fighting resulted in at least 48 deaths and displaced over 300,000 civilians. A ceasefire, mediated by Malaysia and supported by the United States and China, was agreed upon on July 28. These skirmishes resumed in early December and continue now with over 800,000 civilians displaced, furthered by air strikes through drones and rockets.

“Sadly it has escalated to violence and there’s been deaths and in much bigger numbers, there’s been civilian displacement, like refugees fleeing for safety,” Advanced Placement United States History and AP World History teacher Lucia Franke said. 

Franke commented on how rising civilian displacement could affect countries’ decisions.

“On a hopeful note, I wonder if it might lead to a resolution because of the pressures of one community accommodating tens of thousands of people who have fled to that community,” Franke said. “But I could also see how it might escalate the violence as people compete for scarce resources. Sometimes people turn on each other or point fingers of blame. Hopefully that won’t be the case.”

As civilians are directly migrating, other aspects of society are harmed as well during war.

“[In] the border zone between Cambodia and Thailand, the impact may be more direct in loss of education, loss of resources and those kinds of losses echo for many years after, which makes their impact so strong and so negative,” Franke said. 

Since San Diego is “far-removed” from the conflict, the effects could show up in other means such as “stereotypes, discriminating or placing blame,” according to Franke.

Moreover, Franke reveals society’s perspective on knowledge of current events and its importance.

“I think the more that people are aware of what’s going on all around them in their local community and the world, [it] makes them more understanding of others, which is never a bad thing if we’re going to live in peace,” Franke said.

Franke believes that an individual’s reluctance in being informed is “human nature” when it does not concern themselves.

“I might be guilty of this type of thinking too, because I think it’s human nature that maybe we can overcome, but we have to be aware of it and work at it,” Franke said. “I think there’s a tendency to think, oh, that’ll never happen to me. But that’s false security.”

Conflicts abroad are relevant at a global and local scale.

by Isabel Ji