SYDNEY — Australia's landmark social media ban for children under 16 has entered its second month, and parents across the nation are reporting an unforeseen crisis: their children have begun existing in shared physical spaces and appearing to want things from them.

"At first it was the withdrawal," said Marcus Chen, a Brisbane father of two. "Lot of sulking. Staring at walls. We expected that. What we didn't expect was what came after."

What came after, according to Chen and dozens of other parents interviewed for this report, was far worse than the initial detox period. After approximately two weeks of adjustment, teenagers began emerging from their rooms with no screens in hand and, in many cases, making sustained eye contact with family members.

"She just... looked at me," said Perth mother Diana Whitmore, describing an encounter with her 14-year-old daughter in the kitchen. "And then she asked what I was making for dinner. And then she stayed there. In the kitchen. While I made it."

Government officials have acknowledged what they're calling "an adjustment period" but maintain the ban is working as intended.

"The goal was to reconnect young people with the physical world," said a spokesperson for the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts. "We're pleased to report that reconnection is occurring."

Parents are less enthusiastic.

The emerging crisis has two dimensions, according to family therapist Dr. Rebecca Okonkwo. The first is logistical: teenagers who previously occupied themselves for hours now require transportation to locations, activities with other humans, and in some cases, equipment for hobbies.

"I drove to three different stores looking for a basketball," said Melbourne father James Thornton. "A basketball. My son wants to play basketball now. With other boys. At a park. I don't even know where a park is."

The second dimension is emotional.

"They want to talk," said Whitmore, her voice strained. "About their day. About our day. About... feelings? I'm not equipped for this. I went to business school."

Multiple parents reported being asked direct questions such as "What was it like when you were my age?" and "Can we do something together this weekend?" — inquiries that left them, in the words of one Sydney mother, "absolutely blindsided."

Support groups have begun forming online — for the parents, who remain unrestricted — with names like "Now What?" and "I Didn't Sign Up For This." One private Facebook group, "Repeal the Ban," has gained 40,000 members in two weeks.

"We thought we wanted this," reads the group's description. "We were wrong."

The Department has urged patience.

"Families are rediscovering what previous generations experienced as 'spending time together,'" the spokesperson said. "Resources are available for parents who find this challenging."

When asked what those resources were, the spokesperson said the department was "still developing them."

This is a developing story.