In light of the forthcoming ban on social media for those under 16, nine.com.au reached out to young content creators to gauge their reactions to these new regulations.

Many of these creators view the ban as a “double-edged sword.” For some, the prospect of losing the under-16 audience is troubling, as it could significantly impact their engagement, audience reach, and ultimately, their financial stability.

Among these creators is Mackenzie McIntyre, a Queensland-based influencer known for her relatable observational content, which has attracted a substantial following.

McIntyre’s work has garnered over 27 million views on YouTube and amassed more than 400,000 followers on TikTok. However, these impressive figures face a potential decline with the new restrictions set to take effect on December 10.

We want to know your thoughts on this upcoming ban. Reach out to us at joseph.sahyoun@nine.com.au.

“The freedom to create as a young person is being really stripped away,” McIntyre said.

“Not just like someone who’s already creating for viewers, but for people who want to create.”

“When I was 15 years old, all I wanted to be was a content creator, so I think that plays a big role in it too.”

Josiah is a creator who has been posting relatable content skits since he was 18 and believes that creators will have to adapt to the changes.

“I will definitely have to start tailoring some of my content.”

“I’ve even started thinking about maybe pushing up that age to kind of end of high school, early university days sort of relatability.”

“It might end up being a double-edged sword where kids just end up in these really unsafe places because they are just scrambling to find somewhere that they can continue consuming the content that they’ve grown up with.”

“I think it’s almost like it hasn’t really sunk in for a lot of creators that there will need to be some sort of change.”

Clarke’s daily rugby league content posted to his Instagram account has fostered an audience of nearly 150,000 followers, including a mix of people who are set to have their accounts wiped on December 10.

“It will certainly affect my engagement numbers, as the younger generation is a highly engaged portion of my followers,” Clarke said.

“Whenever I meet someone under the age of 18 or looking like they’re in high school, they usually tell me that they love my page and get all their news from it daily.

“I suspect plenty of them will just find an alternate method to access social media. Kids are resourceful, and I am sure they are going to find hundreds of ways to loophole this ban.”

The government has placed the responsibility of enforcing the laws into the hands of the social media platforms included in the ban.

This includes removing and deactivating any accounts used by anyone under the age of 16, as well as preventing the creation of any additional accounts and preventing workarounds that may allow children to bypass the restrictions.

The platforms set to be age-restricted include: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Kick, Twitch and Reddit.

However, there are no penalties for under-16s who access age-restricted platforms, with the government stating that the purpose is to protect young Australians rather than punishing and isolating them.

Other creators have echoed this sentiment, believing that under-16s will find their way around the new legislation.

“I really don’t think a lot of them will settle for just not being able to do it,” McIntrye said.

“These young people are going to have to find alternative ways to watch this content, whether by using their parents’ account, then that messes up all the demographics. statistics and everything.”

“That can also create a dangerous environment because then they may be shown more adult content because the age range is a lot higher.”

Social media influencer agencies have been preparing for months in the lead-up to the new laws.

“Under-16s often drive trends and virality, though their direct purchasing power is limited,” said Head of Brand and Partnerships at Sticki and DataSauce, Rachael Webb.

”Over the last few months, our focus has been on education, helping brands understand that this legislation represents a delay in when young audiences can legally participate, rather than the disappearance of youth influence online.”

“The key challenge for creators is understanding how this will affect their analytics. With Influencer marketing now highly data-driven, engagement metrics may fluctuate as under-16 accounts are removed or restricted.”

Webb is urging creators to be proactive and use the new laws as a way to test new approaches and formats to see what works as the social media landscape continues to evolve rapidly.

“Test new angles of content, explore what resonates with your other audience segments, and experiment with new creative styles.”

“It’s rare for a creator’s audience to be made up entirely of under-16s, but many will see shifts in their community makeup.”