The social media ban is here. Three Australian teens told us how they're really coping.

Instagram opens up, and suddenly a pop-up appears: "You must be 16 or older to use this app."

For some Australian teenagers under 16, that warning is now reality, with Australia's world-first Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA) rules — widely dubbed the "social media ban" — officially in effect.

So, what does life look like when the apps you rely on to connect, share, and simply be "in the loop" are suddenly out of reach?

To find out, I spoke to three Australian teens and their mothers. They shared how the social media ban is changing friendships, communication and daily life, while raising broader challenges: missed memories, disrupted routines, and the search for new ways to communicate.

This is what they told us.

Listen: Australia's social media ban is here. Post continues below.

Perri, Tess and Bec.

For one Melbourne family, the ban hit home in a very specific way. One morning, as 14-year-old Perri went to check her second Instagram, she discovered she had been blocked.

"I actually couldn't log in at all," Perri told Mamamia. "I tried to switch my accounts, and it said 'You're logged out,' and then switched me back.

"It gave me like a little pop-up saying, 'You won't be able to access this till you're 16,' but it didn't actually give me an option to try and justify my age."

Perri has lost access to her 'secondary' Instagram account. Photo: Supplied.

To date, it's the only social media account of Perri's to be impacted by the ban.

But that account was more than just a "secondary" digital space; Perri used the account to share everyday moments with her closer friends, a way to preserve snapshots of life she could revisit later.

"It's a little sad because a lot of my memories are on that," the teen explained. "I post a bit with my friends and stuff there, but it's not too bad because I can still communicate with my friends in other ways."

Perri has noted a subtle shift in social habits since the ban came into effect.

"Most of my friends have been taken off Instagram and Snapchat, mainly. So I have to communicate with them through lots of different apps now. It's really confusing," she explained.

"We definitely don't talk as much; it's a lot harder because we only talk if we have things to say. Normally, on Instagram, you can send each other silly reels and stuff, but now it's just messages and SMS, which is obviously a lot harder to communicate feelings and emotions with that."

At 17, Perri's older sister, Tess, avoided the ban entirely, but she's observed how those younger than her are coping.

Perri (left) with her older sister Tess (right). Image: Supplied.

"It's been challenging. It's taken away a lot of their ways of communicating," she said. "I'm glad that I'm not 16, and it hasn't been taken away from me."

The girl's mother, Bec, said the ban is a positive step in principle, but admitted the rollout has left families navigating murky waters.

"I'm really in favour of the ban — kids under 16 don't need social media," she said. "But it's been quite unclear as a parent how to navigate it," Bec said.

"The girls play basketball and volunteer, but with activities and community spaces closed, and in Melbourne's rainy weather, it's hard for them to socialise offline.

"The community and government need to put more effort into providing alternatives."

Perri is aware that further measures may be on the horizon.

"I do hope that I don't get banned for a bit still," she admitted with a laugh. "When it came up to December, I was trying to slowly get off social media, but then on December 10th, when nothing happened, I was like, 'wait, this isn't even that bad.'

"But I have a feeling that I'm going to get blocked with it soon anyway."

Chilli and Hayley.

Across the country, in a Queensland household, 15-year-old Chilli and her mother Hayley have experienced a different reality.

Chilli's social media accounts remain active, but she has begun receiving notifications that she must be 16 to continue using TikTok in Australia.

"It has like a pop-up and then I just press 'OK,' and I can continue scrolling," Chilli told Mamamia.

"A couple of my friends lost their accounts a day before the ban, so I thought it was just going to hit immediately on the day."

Chilli (15) and Hayley. Image: Supplied.

Chilli isn't feeling too anxious about the ban; she's a few months shy of turning 16, so she continues to scroll, like, and repost content, while also spending more time with friends in person.

"I'm not that devastated about the whole thing," she said. "It's just such a non-issue. There are so many other problems — it feels a bit silly."

Still, she admitted she'd be "disappointed" should she wake up one morning to find her accounts had restricted access.

Her mother, Hayley, is proud of Chilli's calm response.

"Her whole sense around this hasn't been one of outrage," Hayley explained. "She has a strong friend network, so it's not throwing her off balance. We've always encouraged personal responsibility, and she's learning to make decisions herself. That's key."

While Hayley recognises the addictive potential of digital platforms and their impact on young minds, she feels the ban is too restrictive.

"The screen addiction definitely needs addressing, because it affects your brain chemistry and your makeup and how you make decisions later in life," she said.

"I just wish that there were some high-quality programmes implemented, some education at high school, so it's not just taking things from people and restricting people.

"There needs to be a bit of an overarching approach as opposed to reactive."

Elizabeth and Ingrid.

Meanwhile, 13-year-old Elizabeth and her mother, Ingrid, represent a different approach altogether: Elizabeth has never had social media.

Her parents wanted to wait until the Queensland teen was 16 to allow access. Her mother explained that she wanted to protect Elizabeth from the pressures and risks of online life during her formative years.

Elizabeth (13) has never been online. Image: Supplied.

"We wanted to ensure she wasn't exposed to anything unhealthy for her young mind," Ingrid told Mamamia, adding she had concerns about online bullying, wasted time, and brain development.

Elizabeth has seen firsthand the impact the ban has had on her peers, but isn't personally affected.

"Some of my friends were annoyed when their accounts were restricted. It was such a big part of their life," she said.

Elizabeth said she's noticed her friends are communicating differently, relying more on WhatsApp group chats and text messages to stay in touch.

It's a change the teen welcomes.

"I think it is a good ban because there are things on social media that we don't really need to be exposed to quite yet."

The takeaway.

For these three families, the social media ban has highlighted the diversity of experiences among teens in Australia.

Perri has faced the sudden loss of a treasured digital space, Chilli hovers on the cusp of restriction while maintaining a balanced perspective, and Elizabeth navigates adolescence entirely offline.

Still in its infancy, the new SMMA obligations have also raised broader questions about the evolving relationship between teens and technology.

As the "ban" continues to roll out, these families — and countless others — will serve as a real-world test case, offering insights into how young Australians can navigate a world where screens are omnipresent, yet access may be suddenly curtailed.

For parents such as Bec, Hayley, and Ingrid, it's a reminder that protecting children in the digital age is as much about guidance and support as it is about restriction.

Feature image: Canva.