We haven’t built viable alternatives that can compete. When December 10 arrives, young men will migrate to the shiniest, most accessible digital experiences, even though these sites may expose them to greater risks than social media.
Online gambling looms large. Boys start betting with each other at around age 10 – by high school, up to a third have gambled for money. The convergence of gambling and gaming is insidious: loot boxes are slot machines with better graphics. In-game betting opportunities and gambling ads are now readily woven into gaming streams, blurring the lines between gamer and gambler.
Pornography offers another avenue — little age verification, sophisticated algorithmic curation, unlimited accessibility. Research repeatedly shows the troubling impact of early exposure to pornography on developing sexuality and relationship expectations.
Perhaps the most widespread migration will be to AI companions. Already, 66 per cent of young men aged 12-17 use ChatGPT weekly. AI companions are being engineered for emotional intimacy. We documented a 33 per cent global rise in searches for “AI girlfriends” in 2024 — Australia showed 47 per cent growth, the world’s highest. Platforms like Character.AI and Replika offer algorithmically optimised parasocial relationships, providing advice on relationships, identity, life decisions. Advice generated not by wisdom, but by systems designed to maximise profit, leveraging sycophancy for engagement.
Government, health, education, and social service sectors have a window to build infrastructure we should have been developing for decades. Young men are hungry for direction, motivation, belonging. Our research shows 75 per cent feel motivated after acting on influencer advice. That drive is a foundation we can build on.
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We need sustained funding for social connection programs that understand masculine pressures driving competition and emotional distance. We need sports and community programs that explicitly teach resilience and emotional literacy as practical skills. We need comprehensive digital literacy education. Right now, 57 per cent of young men don’t understand algorithmic curation, yet 53 per cent want more control. Teaching them how these systems work – how to critically evaluate sources, how to recognise when platforms optimise for engagement rather than wellbeing – is needed for when social media access is restored at 16.
This ban is a massive social experiment, even though responding to a real need. Is 16 the right threshold? Where will young men actually spend their time? Should different platforms face different age requirements based on specific harms? To find the answers we need to track where young men spend time during the ban, how mental health and social connection evolve, which interventions work, and what happens when access returns. Most importantly, we need to hear young men’s voices– they’re the experts on their own digital lives.
Taking something away is easy. Building something better is where the real work begins. We can’t reclaim four hours a day and expect the vacuum to fill itself. Perfection isn’t required — but planning is. If we’re closing the door, we’d better open some windows.
Dr Zac Seidler is a clinical psychologist and global director of research for Movember.
