Anthony Chen

Department: Communication

Faculty Mentor: Jeff Hancock, Professor or Communication

Protecting youth online

As governments worldwide debate how to protect young people online, Australia has become the first country to legally ban children under 16 from certain social media platforms. Anthony is collaborating on an evaluation of this policy to understand what actually happens when this kind of law takes effect — whether young people adhere, whether it affects their wellbeing, and whether it has unintended consequences. Alongside comparative analysis in New Zealand and engagement with youth mental health organizations, this work aims to equip policymakers around the world with evidence on how to protect adolescents online without sacrificing their connection to modern support networks.