I was recently in Norway, working at the University of Oslo reflecting on some of the success, challenges, difficulties and framing around the social media “ban” in Australia. Norway is currently considering introducing similar kind of legislation and it will be interesting to see how a country with such a strong track record in children’s rights approaches this problem. I reflected on what success and failure of the legislation might mean in its own terms and also in terms of its knock on effects in terms of (perhaps) changing social norms.

I ended up trying to think about the legislation, the motive for it, its’ impact and the criticism it has received along the following seven themes.

While I was there there was intense public interest in the Australian experience. I was interviewed for a newspaper here in a radio show here (broadcast 7th May). The faculty also took advantage of my visit in a student led video raising questions here.