Shadowing Practice: The Point: The world-first social media ban for children under 16 | Vietnam Today - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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We now turn to an in-depth look at Australia's unprecedented decision.
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We now turn to an in-depth look at Australia's unprecedented decision.
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The country, on December 10th,
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began enforcing the world's first social media ban for children under 16,
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a move driven by growing concerns about links between screen time and rising anxiety and depression among young people.
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While children and parents will not be punished for infringing the ban,
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10 major platforms, including TikTok,
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YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, were ordered to block under 16 users.
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Those failing to comply face fines of up to $49.5 million Australian dollars under the new law that regulators worldwide are closely watching.
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About 1 million Australian children are expected to be affected,
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with many posting farewell messages.
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Meta has began disabling accounts since December 4th,
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while more than 200,000 TikTok accounts have already been deactivated.
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Platforms will use aid verification tools ranging from analyzing online behavior to estimating age through selfies or ID checks.
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Several countries from Denmark to New Zealand to Malaysia say they are studying or considering similar measures,
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making Australia a test case.
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Australia's move has sparked mixed reactions from both at home
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and around the world Let's see how people responded to the new registration
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As the world's first social media ban took effect on December
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10th Some teenagers in Sydney questioned whether it would be effective While others welcomed the move by the Australian government
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It's just kind of like pointless like we're just going to create like new ways to get on these platforms
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so like what's the point you know?
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We'd always regulated media in the public interest
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and I think what the government's trying to do is to return some of the public interest.
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That's a good thing because as I say there have been harms.
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It's come internationally, it's come from other places.
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I think looking at questions around social media from an Australian perspective is a really good idea.
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People are going to find a way around most things.
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So I think people who want to will find a way around it.
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I mean, but I think the government has to do something and I think if it's successful in Australia,
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which I think it probably will be,
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the rest of the world will probably follow.
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Globally, Australia's ban has drawn mixed reactions.
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EU lawmaker Christelle Shatomoza said Europe will learn from the Australian teen social media ban.
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I'm happy that they have made this ban so that they are going to check it out,
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they're going to experiment with the law and we will be able to learn from the Australian law.
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In the UK, Britain's supported tighter controls but felt a full ban might be too extreme.
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I don't know, maybe they can just put in some sort of controls on it
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so that it's a little like they're sort of working out what's being fed,
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basically just make it a bit more child-friendly rather than banning them.
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I think it's a good concept and a good idea,
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but I think it's going to be quite hard to control.
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I think it'll be easier for the parent because they're not having to know what their kids are looking at online.
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I think social media does have a lot of black holes in it.
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A British government spokesperson said there are currently no plans to ban social media for children in the UK.
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In Western Germany, teachers and students at a high school were mostly in favor of Australia's social media ban,
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but were skeptical about how easy it would be to implement.
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Basically, I think it's a good idea because social media is really addictive.
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I just think it's probably difficult to implement.
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Many youngsters can just use their parents' IDs.
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That may simply increase the incentive to use it illegally.
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I believe that it would be a shock for many children if they were no longer allowed to use social media.
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It is really an important communication tool.
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But as a teacher, I've noticed increasing bullying incidents and worsening attention span of many children.
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Vietnam currently has more than 25 million children under 16,
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accounting for over 25% of the population.
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Now, according to a 2024 survey by the Ministry of Labour,
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Invalids and Social Affairs, 91% of Vietnamese children use the Internet,
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but only 10% have adequate knowledge and skills to stay safe online.
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On average, children spend 5 to 7 hours a day on social media,
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while experts warn that daily Internet use exceeding 2 hours
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may have potential impacts on brain development for ages 10 to under 16.
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Under Government Decree 147 issued in 2024,
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effective December 25, 2024, parents
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or guardians must use their own information to register social media accounts for children under 16 and closely monitor their online activities.
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To better understanding the need for stronger regulations on children's social media use,
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Our reporter Hainam spoke with Dr. Pham Hai Trung,
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senior lecturer and program lead of professional communications at British University Vietnam.
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Let's take a listen.
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Thank you for joining this interview.
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Now first, what's your view on Australia's decision to ban social media for children under 16 and the responses from other countries?
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Australia is sending strong messages to children's wellbeing and comforts in the digital world.
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It also shows the global concern about children's online safety,
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especially like online harassment, cyberbullying and also harmful content.
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not just only Australia, actually UK
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and also several countries in Europe also considering the same restrictions on social media for children under 16
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because social media have developed faster than our ability to regulate it.
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However I think ban itself is not a magical solution to
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create a better online environments we also need the better digital
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educations now given the current context in vietnam do you think
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a regulation similar to australia's is necessary why why not vietnam
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also face similar challenge children encounter a lot of inappropriate contents harmful contents and also cyberbullying, hate speech.
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They suffer from depression for creating perfect online identity.
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However, Vietnam's digital culture is totally different.
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Many schools' parents and children exchange information about homework,
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school announcements, and also all the other kind of conversations on Zalo.
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That's why certain kinds of levels,
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the similar regulations may work in Vietnam, but cannot apply immediately.
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So I think the more important might be education of digital literacy among all the children from the early age.
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In your opinion, what solutions can help maximize the benefits and minimize the harms of social media for children?
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The first, I would say digital education from the early age.
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Several countries already apply this kind of teaching the school to
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teach children since they first go online how they would be aware of their digital footprint,
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online identities, how to protect their privacy
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and how to respect others in the virtual world as they do in the real life.
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And also we need the better guideline for parents
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and also teachers to recognize all the problems among the children in the digital world like cyberbullying,
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hair speech, sexual harassment online
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and also each family needs a family digital plan in the
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way all the family members they need to work together to
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have a better digital life together like for example they limit the screen time on smartphone
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or leave the smartphone in the living room before bedtime
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or our parent and children also choose the common channel
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so they watch with each other so they can see
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and also discuss
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that kind of conversations as the the parent teach the children in the real life as well
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and also parents also set the very good model with their
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online behavior in front of the children once again thank you for your time the conversation around children
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and social media is far from over.
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And Australia's both steps will provide valuable lessons for countries considering similar policies.
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We'll continue to follow how future changes unfold and bring you the latest updates.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice your English speaking skills by exploring the significant decision made by Australia to implement the world's first social media ban for children under 16. By watching and analyzing the YouTube video titled "The Point: The world-first social media ban for children under 16 | Vietnam Today," you will enhance your understanding of current global issues while also improving your vocabulary and listening skills. This exercise is perfect for those who aim to learn English with YouTube as a method to engage with real-world topics.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Unprecedented: something that has never happened before.
  • Screen time: the amount of time spent using devices with screens, such as smartphones and computers.
  • Regulators: authoritative bodies that oversee compliance with laws and regulations.
  • Public interest: the welfare or well-being of the general public.
  • Verification tools: methods used to confirm identity or authenticity.
  • Infringing the ban: violating the established rules or restrictions.
  • Potential impacts: possible effects or outcomes that may arise.
  • Communication tool: a medium through which people exchange information.

Practice Tips

To maximize your learning experience, consider using the shadowing technique. This involves listening to the video's transcript while simultaneously speaking along with it. The video features clear speech and a moderate pace, making it suitable for shadowing. You can pause the video where needed to repeat phrases and to ensure you're articulating correctly.

Utilize a shadowing app to help you replay sections of the video for better comprehension and practice. This will allow you to work on your pronunciation and rhythm. Start by mimicking the speakers after a few seconds of listening, gradually working towards speaking simultaneously. This method not only helps you with pronunciation but also improves your fluency. Concentrate on intonation and stress patterns to assist with developing a natural speaking style.

Additionally, for those preparing for the IELTS, this practice will significantly enhance both your speaking and listening skills, making it a rewarding exercise in your English speaking practice journey.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.