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The federal government plan to ban children under the age of 16 from accessing social media could have a negative impact on their mental health.
Australia’s leading mental health organisations have criticised the new social media ban for young people, saying it will cause them harm.
The ban was announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on 10 September.
It will enforce a minimum age for access to social media and other relevant digital platforms. Mr Albanese said he was looking at a minimum age range of between 14 and 16.
“The safety and mental health of our young people is paramount,” Mr Albanese said.
“Parents want their kids off the phones and on the footy field. So do I.”
Mr Albanese said that social media is causing social harm.
“We know that there is mental health consequences for what many of the young people have had to deal with. The bullying that can occur online, the access to material which causes social harm, and parents are wanting a response,” Mr Albanese said.
“We’re supporting parents and keeping kids safe by taking this action, because enough is enough,” he said.
Although the government said the ban is to protect the mental health of children, Australia’s peak mental health bodies have all joined forces to say it will not.
In a joint statement, organisations including Beyond Blue, Headspace, ReachOut and the Black Dog Institute said the proposed ban will not make social media safe and will stop young people from accessing essential support.
“Social media often serves as their front door to the mental health system. Shutting this door on young people will cut them off from a free and accessible form of support — available without an appointment in an overstretched system,” the group said in the statement.
“It will expose young people to new harms, risk cutting young people off from mental health support, leaving many without any support at all.”
Research by ReachOut has found that 73% of young people use social media for mental health support and more than half of young people use social media for support in place of seeing a professional.
The Black Dog Institute’s Future Proofing Study found online social connectivity allows teenagers ways to strengthen their existing relationships and increase their wellbeing.
It also helps reduce isolation and loneliness.
The organisations agree that parents are right to be worried about the impact of social media and that reform is necessary but a blanket ban is not the answer.
“Currently, social media age restriction bans don’t work; we know children under the age of 13 are getting around current restrictions to use the main social media platforms,” Dr Aliza Werner-Seidler, co-lead of the Future Proofing Study said.
“It is encouraging that this move involves greater responsibility placed on social media companies to ensure the safety of their younger users,” she said.
“However, if the government wants to implement meaningful reform that safeguards young people’s mental health online, they should also focus their investment into evidence-based interventions to educate parents and children on social media literacy,” Dr Aliza Werner-Seidler said.
The peak mental health bodies’ recommendations are as follows:
- Co-designing reform and new safety features with young people to ensure that they are likely to be effective and fit-for-purpose;
- Social media platforms are to put an end to “sticky features” like infinite scroll;
- Mandating safety features and increased social media literacy programs for users under 16;
- Increasing support for parents on how to manage their children’s access to social media;
- Giving users control to reset their algorithm, limiting the harmful content they are exposed to.
Money has been set aside in the federal budget for a trial to begin over the coming months with legislation to be introduced by the end of the year.
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