A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Catherine Page Jeffery, University of Sydney From December 10, those under 16 will only be able to see publicly available content on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube. They will not be able to have their own accounts. For example, they could look up Taylor Swift’s latest music video on YouTube, [...]
Christiane Kehoe, The University of Melbourne and Elizabeth Westrupp, Deakin University Watching your teenager grieve the loss of their social media account can be confronting. Many are genuinely distressed or struggling with the change, and many parents are unsure how to respond. Australia’s social media ban, which started this week, means teens under the age [...]
How new legislation and expert insights are reshaping online safety for young Australians In 2024, the Australian Government made headlines by announcing its intent to raise the minimum age for access to major social media platforms. The reforms would restrict young people’s access to platforms including TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat until the age of 16 [...]
Jessica Kruk, The University of Western Australia and Lauren Gawne, La Trobe University Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham’s crime drama Adolescence has earned widespread praise for its portrayal of incel culture and male violence. But the show’s portrayal of 13-year-old Jamie (Owen Cooper) being radicalised by misogynistic online content has a lot of parents concerned [...]
Judith Ireland, The Conversation and Matt Garrow, The Conversation The Albanese government has announced it will introduce a social media ban for children. The government has not yet nominated a minimum age but is trialling age-assurance mechanisms for those aged 13–16. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the legislation will be introduced this year. This follows [...]
Taren Sanders, Australian Catholic University; Chris Lonsdale, Australian Catholic University; Michael Noetel, The University of Queensland, and Philip D Parker, Australian Catholic University Ask any parent and it’s likely they’ll tell you they’re worried about their kids’ screen time. A 2021 poll found it was Australian parents’ number one health concern for their kids – [...]
Catherine Jane Archer, Edith Cowan University and Kate Delmo, University of Technology Sydney Parents share content of their children for myriad reasons, including to connect with friends and family, and to seek validation or support. However, some parents also do this for commercial gain. They manage their children as social media “kidfluencers” – allowing them [...]
The recent decision of the major law firm MinterEllison to sever ties with the Adelaide Festival because it invited two Palestinian writers whose views the firm finds objectionable is one of many recent examples of “cancel culture”. In Australia, they also include promoters cancelling tours of bands accused of far-right sympathies, and of bands cancelling themselves because [...]
Lowri Dowthwaite-Walsh, University of Central Lancashire If you’re looking for ways to bring more positive changes into your life, TikTok recommends jumping on the “lucky girl syndrome” trend. The hashtag links countless videos, all claiming this new form of positive thinking can help you achieve your goals. If you haven’t already come across one of [...]
Catherine Page Jeffery, University of Sydney The surgeon general is the “nation’s doctor” in the United States. They are tasked with giving Americans the “best scientific information” about their health. Late last month, the current US surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, warned 13 is too young to join social media. He said it poses a risk [...]
