Marketing to a missing generation

Since December 2025, children under 16 have been prohibited from holding accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. While the restrictions were introduced to improve online safety, they have dismantled one of digital marketing’s most vital pipelines.

According to Edith Cowan University School of Arts and Humanities Advertising Coordinator and Senior Lecturer Kelly Choong, the legislation presents a significant obstacle for brands targeting younger audiences.

“Given most people below the age of 16 rarely use traditional media, the ban creates a new challenge for advertisers in reaching this market,” he said.

Rare Client Services Director Simon Stewart said the disruption ran deeper than paid advertising, as major platforms had already restricted direct targeting of under-18s. He said the critical loss was the ability to build authentic connections with younger audiences.

“The real shake-up isn’t in paid ads – it’s in the sudden removal of the organic brand engagement, community building and youth influencer activity that brands previously relied on to stay culturally relevant with this demographic,” he said.

“Losing that access overnight is where the true disruption lies.”

Mr Stewart said budgets were shifting towards gaming ecosystems, audio streaming and family-focused traditional media such as broadcast video on demand and cinema.

Long-term, Mr Stewart said he saw youth advertising splitting into two paths – engaging young audiences directly in contextually relevant environments or reaching parents as the ultimate decision-makers.

Although some young people may manage to circumvent social media restrictions, advertisers still face a challenge – finding channels that replicate the reach and relevance these platforms once offered.

While alternative ecosystems such as gaming and influencer marketing will play a growing role, Dr Choong said they might not be enough to fill the void left by social media platforms. Nevertheless, he said they were the next best alternatives.

As brands redirect budgets and rethink strategy, the industry faces a new reality – Generation Alpha has not disappeared, but the most direct route for reaching them has. Whether gaming, streaming and other emerging channels can fill this gap remains one of the biggest questions facing advertisers in the post-ban landscape.

Author: Melissa Isabel Martens is a second-year Bachelor of Information Technology and Design student at the Technical University of Lübeck in Germany. She is currently on exchange at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia.