Parents “generally agree” the risk of online harm to children such as bullying, pornography exposure and predatory activity needs to be reduced, but a national age-based ban promoted by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with mixed responses.
Albanese announced on 10 September that his government would engage with the states and territories before introducing legislation this year enforcing a national minimum age for access to social media platforms.
It came two days after South Australia premier Peter Malinauskas released a report by former High Court judge Robert French including proposed laws for banning children aged under 14 from setting up social media accounts in the state.
In a statement the Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT said parents and carers have “long-held concerns” about the impact of social media on their children.
“Many feel inadequate when it comes to navigating social media platforms given the speed at which they have been developed and gained popularity,” it read.
“As such there is a general agreement with the need to limit access to social media platforms.
“This needs to be coupled with greater education and awareness of the role parents and carers play in navigating the social media landscape and modelling and establishing good habits and behaviours in their children.”
CCSP Chair Anne Fehon said parents and carers are aware of research that identifies links between “excessive” social media use and poor sleep, anxiety, depression as well as attention problems and social difficulties.
“They also raise concerns about social media algorithms that target content a child or young person seems interested in and results in them being bombarded with potentially harmful information lacking context,” she said.
Australian Catholic University media researcher Dr Chloe Gordon said regardless of any new age limit, young people need to be equipped with skills to effectively navigate the digital world.
“Supporting and protecting young people online requires a multi-faceted and balanced approach,” she said.
“A key consideration is equipping young people with skills to critically analyse the media they encounter in their everyday digital lives.”
Dr Gordon is working with the Alannah & Madeline Foundation to develop media literacy lessons as part of their eSmart Program.
Albanese said the government was partnering with the charity on digital literacy programs in schools, but after his announcement it distanced itself from the idea of a social media ban for youth.
Alannah & Madeline Foundation chief executive Sarah Davies told Guardian Australia while it was not opposed to raising the age limits such a move may be ineffective and “actually create more harm” and that a better approach would include better regulation of tech companies.
Women’s advocacy group Collective Shout founder Melinda Tankard-Reist and parents’ advocacy group Heads Up Alliance co-founder Dany Elachi both welcomed the announcement but differed over the best minimum age limit, preferring 16 and 18 years respectively, The Australian reported.