A first-of-its-kind social media ban for kids takes effect   December 10, 2025

 

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Thank you. Today is Your Word Wednesday, so keep those ears on high alert. See if the vocabulary word you submitted made it into today's show.

 

We start today with some big news out of the social media world. This month many kids in Australia will be forced off of popular social media apps like TikTok and Instagram. The new online safety amendment bans anyone under 16 from using any social media platform.

 

force off: to persuade or pressure someone or an animal to get off of something

 

Lawmakers say the goal is to protect children's well-being backed by research showing that too much screen time causes more harm than good. But some teenagers strongly disagree. The timing of the ban has some worried about isolation from their friends.

 

This is all happening right before they begin their summer break. Our Angus Watson spoke to some of the youngsters.

 

Teenagers Noah and Macy are taking their government to court in a fight to stay on social media.

 

Taking away how we communicate to the world, this is how we do it. It's the modern day, it's social media.

 

From Wednesday Australia will enforce a world first law banning children under 16 from many of the biggest platforms.

 

Supported by a freedom advocacy group, Macy and Noah's case asserts a right to political communication. The high court has agreed to hear it next year.

 

advocacy [ˋædvəkəsɪ] n. 拥护，主张，提倡

assert [əˋsɝt] v. 维护，坚持；主张拥有

 

So what will you lose when social media is taken away from you?

 

Well we will lose connections but we will lose our democracy.

 

This law is saying that democracy begins at 16 which is condescending and it's incorrect. Listen there are definitely negatives on social media. I'm not denying that, I completely agree.

 

condescending [͵kɑndɪˋsɛndɪŋ] adj. 表现出高…一等的姿态的，带有优越感地对待…的；高傲的

 

We're saying that getting rid of the kids is not the solution. We didn't do anything wrong.

 

The government says it has acted to protect children from potentially harmful content, harmful people and addictive algorithms.

 

act [ækt] v. 采取行动

 

And there are these powerful harmful deceptive design features that even adults are powerless to fight against like autoplay and endless scroll and Snap Streaks. So what chance do our children have?

 

powerless [ˋpaʊɚlɪs] adj. 软弱的；无能力的

Snap Streak 是指您连续多少天在特定日期发送照片或视频的计数

streak [strik] n. 条纹;条痕

 

Under the new law young social media users won't be punished for being on age restricted apps nor their parents. Instead Australia is requiring tech companies to take reasonable steps to keep under 16s off their platforms and threatening fines in the tens of millions of dollars.

 

Tech companies say they are already building safer systems. AI face detectors will likely be employed to verify age with tools provided by third-party companies like Verify My. Users may also be asked to upload their identity documents.

 

Australia is certainly leading the way when it comes to requiring an age check for every user to determine that they are over 16 or not.

 

The government's ban is a catch-all. If you're under the age of 16 you're off social media but children are all different. They've engaged with social media differently and they feel differently about the ban.

 

catch-all [ˈkætʃɔl] n. 笼统的描述; 概况介绍

 

The students at All Saints Anglican School on Australia's Gold Coast are learning from cyber safety advocate Keira Pendergast about how to best avoid danger on social media.

 

Because it is a delay it's not a flat-out ban. They're not banning the internet. We're not trying to boil the ocean. It's literally just a delay age and so they've got time to catch up to become more resilient and think more critically about that how they use apps.

 

flat-out 直截了當地

boil the ocean 好高騖遠

 

In their final year Nicholas and Ruby wonder if maybe their school career would have been easier without the distraction of social media.

 

distraction [dɪˋstrækʃən] n. 分心，注意力分散

 

Nick and I were talking before about how if we could we would delete Snapchat today but it's more the fact that because there's now so much reliability and connection based off one app you don't want to delete it.

 

Perhaps for young Australians the fear of missing out won't be so bad if everyone is forced to miss out together.

 

miss out【口】失去获得利益或获得乐趣的机会

 

Angus Watson CNN Sydney Australia.

 

Pop quiz hot shot

 

Before making a name for herself during the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott what was Rosa Parks’ profession?

 

Switchboard operator, seamstress, teacher or cook?

 

switchboard [ˋswɪtʃ͵bord] n. 配电盘；（电话）接线总机

seamstress [ˋsimstrɪs] n. 女裁缝师

 

If you said seamstress you're so so smart. Miss Parks worked at the Montgomery Fair department store also volunteered her time as a secretary for her local chapter of the NAACP where she investigated cases of racial injustice.

 

chapter [ˋtʃæptɚ] n.【美】（俱乐部、协会等的）支部，分会

 

70 years ago this month civil rights icon Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery Alabama.

 

The act of defiance sparked the 381 day Montgomery bus boycotts and that ultimately ended segregation on public transportation, thrusting Parks into the history books forever.

 

defiance [dɪˋfaɪəns] n. 挑战; 藐视; 违抗

thrust [θrʌst] v. 用力推

 

Now seven decades later some never before seen photos are giving us a brand new look at parts of her legacy that are often overlooked.

 

The photos taken by famed civil rights photographer Matt Herron show Miss Parks at the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery nearly a decade after her famous act of civil disobedience.

 

disobedience [͵dɪsəˋbidɪəns] n. 不服从，违抗；违反

 

The five-day 54 mile trek was a key moment in the civil rights movement often seen as a galvanizing momentum that led to the U.S. Voting Rights Act of 1965.

 

galvanize [ˋgælvə͵naɪz] v. 激起；使震惊；使振奋

 

The photos are on display at the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery.

 

The museum's director hopes they will serve as a reminder that Parks activism began long before and extended well after that impactful moment aboard that bus in Alabama.

 

activism [ˋæktəvɪzəm] n. 激进主义，行动主义

 

In Paris more bad news at the Louvre museum, a spokesperson for the world's largest museum says a water leak has damaged a plethora of antique books dating back to the 19th century. It happened when a valve from a now defunct plumbing system was opened in error.

 

plethora [ˋplɛθərə] n. 过多；过剩

defunct [dɪˋfʌŋkt] adj. 已废止的

 

That system is set to be replaced as part of the museum's ongoing renovations. The unfortunate incident comes less than two months after the Louvre made worldwide headlines for an audacious heist when thieves made off with priceless jewels in broad daylight.

 

audacious [ɔˋdeʃəs] adj. 大胆的；鲁莽的；胆大妄为的

heist [haɪst] n. 抢劫，拦劫

make off【口】匆匆離開; (尤指)逃走

 

The museum estimates up to 400 books related to Egyptology and scientific documentation were impacted.

 

Egyptology [͵idʒɪpˋtɑlədʒɪ] n. 埃及古物学

 

They don't think the damage is permanent and they do plan to return the books to the shelves once repaired and fortunately these are not the only copies of the damaged books still in existence.

 

Today's story getting a 10 out of 10 is you. On the 10th of every month we celebrate your wins no matter how big, small, silly, or serious you've been sending us stories that make us smile and as we like to think smiles are contagious so here we go.

 

Our first 10 out of 10 moment comes from Emmeline Frase, a high school senior at Lake Travis STEM Academy landing her first ever lead role as Fiona in Shrek the Musical.

 

She tells us, I've trained for years and stepping on stage felt like my dreams were finally possible. Amazing Emmeline, keep on auditioning and keep shining.

 

Next we head to Scarsdale, New York where Miles Hwang, a competitive springboard diver, shows us what persistence really looks like.

 

springboard [ˋsprɪŋ͵bord] n. 跳板

persistence [pɚˋsɪstəns] n. 坚持不懈

 

He wrote, sometimes I fail, smack and it really hurts but I always get back on the board and try to learn from my mistakes. Let's take a look.

 

smack [smæk] v. 撞; 使劲摔

 

And this year the determination paid off big time. Miles won second place at the USA Diving Junior Nationals. That's the way to rise up Miles.

 

Now we just saw some incredible dedication in the pool and our next story shows us that that same drive on dry land is just as impactful making a real difference for kids who need it.

 

Katherine Hackett, a sophomore at Rancho Buena Vista High School organized a movie night fundraiser for Camp Kesem, a program that supports kids who have or have had a parent with cancer. Katherine's event brought the whole community together.

 

sophomore [ˋsɑfmor] n.（大学，高中的）二年级学生

fundraiser [ˋfʌnd͵rezɚ] n. 资金筹集人；资金筹集活动

 

Companies pitched in and she helped raise about seven thousand dollars. Way to go Katherine. That is a 10 out of 10.

 

pitch in 协力, 做出贡献

 

Now for our final 10 out of 10 on the 10th we head to Wisconsin where Brody Ullman, the budding musician, has been playing guitar for four years and decided to challenge himself with a brand new song. Yep, the riffs check out. Rock on Brody.

 

budding [ˋbʌdɪŋ] adj. 开始发展的；崭露头角的

riff [rɪf] n.（爵士音乐的）即兴重复段

 

We will be back with our next 10 out of 10 moments from you on January 10th, so send them our way. Send your videos or photos via email @CNN10 @CNN.com.

 

Congrats to today's Your Word Wednesday winner, Mrs. Perales at Wakanda Elementary in Omaha, Nebraska for submitting plethora, a noun meaning a large or excessive amount of something.

 

Thanks for boosting our vocab today and we have a shout out going to Woodsfield Elementary in Woodsfield, Ohio.

 

Can't spell Woodsfield without the woo, a CNN10 themed reef. This is going to be decking the halls. Rise up.

 

Thanks to everyone for spending part of your day with us. Go make someone smile today. I'm Coy Wire and we are CNN10.