American talk show host Oprah Winfrey has praised Australia's decision to ban social media for under-16s from next week, saying the move would help young people socialise more.

The law, set to take effect on 10 December, will block children and teenagers from platforms like TikTok, Meta's Instagram, and Snap's Snapchat.

The government says the ban aims to protect young people from harmful content and online predators.

"I think this will change the lives of an entire generation of kids, giving them better lives," Winfrey said at an event in Sydney on Thursday, according to local media.

Currently on a nationwide speaking tour of Australia, Winfrey expressed particular concern about the impact of the internet on young boys.

"There are so many young people who can’t communicate or have real conversations, especially young boys who become addicted to porn so early that they don’t know how to ask someone out on a date.

They haven’t experienced the socialisation of talking to a real person," she said.

"So once again, Australia leads the way for the rest of the world."

Governments worldwide are watching the impact of this unprecedented ban, which carries a fine of up to A$49.5 million ($33 million). The majority of affected platforms have said they will comply.

According to Australia's internet regulator, 96% of Australian teenagers under 16 — over a million of the country’s 27 million population — have social media accounts.

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