The Time Social Media Takes Away: The Reality of Children Moving Away from Sports and Reading - Zero Reading, Zero Club Activities, Instead, the Timeline

The Reality of "Everyday SNS" at 85%

"Social media has become the 'room' for today's children."
This expression has been used before, but a large-scale study has been published that clearly shows in numbers how much time is being absorbed into it.

According to a study that tracked 14,350 children aged 11 to 14 in South Australia from 2019 to 2022, the percentage of children who use social media "five days a week after school," essentially "everyday SNS," skyrocketed from 26% to 85% in just four years. Conversely, the percentage of children who "do not use it at all" plummeted from the 30% range to 2-3%.Phys.org

The important point is that this change was not just a temporary effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although TV viewing, gaming, and helping around the house increased during the pandemic, they mostly returned to pre-pandemic levels afterward. However, only SNS usage remained high even after the pandemic subsided.Phys.org

The Lost "Rich After-School"

What is more serious than the increase in SNS usage itself is what has been cut back in its place.

The research team analyzed children's after-school activities by dividing them into 11 categories (sports, music, art, reading, playing with friends, TV, games, housework, homework/cram school, youth groups, SNS).Journal of the American Medical Association

As a result, the following "disappearances" were revealed.Phys.org

• Reading: The percentage of children who "do not read at all" increased from about 11% in 2019 to about 53% in 2022.

• Art activities (such as painting and crafts): The percentage of those "not participating" rose from about 26% to 70%.

• Music lessons and clubs: The percentage of those "not participating" increased from around 70% to over 80%.

• Sports, playing with friends, and face-to-face club activities also uniformly decreased.

In other words, the few hours after school that supported growth experiences such as "being physically active," "creating," "immersing in the world of books," and "spending time face-to-face with friends" have been significantly reduced, and almost entirely replaced by SNS.

The introduction of the research paper reiterates that these activities are strongly linked to improved academic performance, self-esteem, sociability, and mental health.Journal of the American Medical Association

Conversely, it is pointed out that when passive screen viewing and uncontrollable SNS consumption occupy most of the after-school time, various risks increase, such as lack of exercise, decreased sleep quality, and increased anxiety and depression.

The "Quiet Divide" Seen in Gender Differences

This study also tracks gender differences.Phys.org

• Girls consistently useSNS more than boys.

• On the other hand, boys have shown a more rapiddecline in reading than girls.

In other words, separate issues emerge: "girls immersed in SNS" and "boys who are detached from books and not much involved in sports or creative activities." These changes are too significant to dismiss as "common concerns."

The Background Is Not Just COVID-19

Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic was a major turning point. With club activities and sports events canceled one after another and even meeting friends restricted, it was somewhat inevitable that children would retreat to their smartphone screens.Journal of the American Medical Association

However, even after schools reopened and normalcy returned, only SNS usage did not revert.
It is believed that the "engineered addictiveness" of short videos with endless content flow due to algorithms and the pressure of read receipts and responses have a strong influence here.

The 4-5 hours of "free time" after school were originally a precious resource contested by homework, lessons, play, reading, and other activities. With the emergence of SNS, which provides free and constant stimulation anywhere and anytime, other activities have been pushed out.

Australia's Move to Restrict SNS for Under 16s

In this context, the Australian government will introduce a new system from December 10, 2025, making it practically difficult for children under 16 to have social media accounts, pioneering this approach globally.eSafety Commissioner

• The targets are major platforms defined as "SNS," such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Snapchat, Reddit, and Kick.eSafety Commissioner

• Platforms are required to take "reasonable measures" to prevent the creation and maintenance of accounts by those under 16, with potential fines of up to approximately 49.5 million AUD (about 5 billion yen) for violations.eSafety Commissioner

• The penalties are aimed not at children or parents but atplatform companies, designed to hold the providers of the system accountable rather than punishing the children.eSafety Commissioner

The government and the eSafety Commissioner explain that this is an "age restriction to delay social media debut" rather than a ban, positioning it as "buying time" so that children can face SNS at a more mature stage.eSafety Commissioner

On the other hand, platforms responsible for implementation express concerns from both privacy and technical burden perspectives, such as how much facial image and ID data to collect for age verification and whether they might mistakenly exclude those over 16.Reuters

Voices of Approval and Disapproval on SNS

This news has become a major topic not only within Australia but also on SNS worldwide. The tone of the debate can be roughly divided into three positions.

1. The "Finally Here" Group

Especially among parents raising children, there are many welcoming voices, such as
"Algorithms are stealing children's time," and "Family rules alone have limits. It's helpful for the country to create a framework."

Some posts express a sense of crisis, citing graphs from this JAMA Network Open study, saying
"We can't ignore a situation where there's zero reading and sports, and it's all about SNS."Journal of the American Medical Association

2. The "SNS is Over-Vilified" Group

On the other hand, there are many critical comments from educators, researchers, and digital rights groups.

• "Isn't the problem not SNS itself but the reduction of offline places and activity options?"

• "It's wrong to regulate only SNS without investing in after-school sports and cultural activities."

• "If facial recognition and ID submission for age verification become the norm, it might increase children's privacy risks."

Such concerns are raised. Particularly, the debate is heated over whether the "age-gating" system using age estimation AI and photo uploads might lead to future surveillance infrastructure.eSafety Commissioner

3. The Honest Opinions of Teens

Complex voices are being raised from the teenagers themselves.

• "SNS can be tough, but it's also the only place to connect with friends."

• "For students at regional boarding schools, please don't take away the means to contact family."ABC

• "Isn't it more realistic to learn how to use it rather than completely banning it?"

These comments suggest that there is a simultaneous presence of the desire to distance themselves from dependence and the fear of being left out.

A "Lesson to Learn" for Japan and Other Countries

Australia's system is attracting global attention, and similar discussions are progressing in parts of Europe.AP News

In Japan, children's smartphone usage time is increasing year by year, but the decision of "when to allow SNS" is currently left to families. If Japan were to consider an Australian-style age restriction, it would need to carefully discuss at least the following points.

1. What is Truly to Be Protected

   • Is it sleep deprivation, bullying and harmful content, or the reduction of study time?

   • Are there policies other than SNS age restrictions that can be taken for each?

2. Can Offline Alternatives Be Provided

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