Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. The Albanese government understands the deep concerns of many parents about the harmful impacts of social media, including screen-time addiction, on their children, and they've told us that they want help managing their children's use of social media. It is why we are progressing this legislation. It is about helping families, when they are sitting around the kitchen table, to have the hard conversations about accessing social media. Our laws will enable parents to say no. The normative value is immense. But this is not about government telling parents how to parent; it's about getting kids back out in the playgrounds and on the sporting fields.

This aligns with what we're hearing from experts. We know there are benefits for young people from accessing social media, but we are also hearing about the hazards of excessive use. In 2022, a group of UK psychologists and neuroscientists analysed longitudinal data on 17,400 young people. They found that young girls experience a negative link between social media use and life satisfaction when they are 11 to 13 years old. For young boys, it is when they are 14 to 15 years old. This legislation will help relieve some of these pressures for young people—the fear of missing out, the infinite scrolling and the addictive features.

The government appreciates the views that have been advanced by young people and mental health advocates. We know online environments can be an important avenue for young people to connect and to find their tribe, and we know the harms don't go away when someone turns 16. That's why, last week, I announced the Albanese government's intention to legislate a digital duty of care. It will place a legal obligation on the platforms to take proactive steps to protect their users. This is a landmark reform recommended by the independent review of the Online Safety Act. Our decision to legislate age limits for social media also builds on the changes I introduced to the Basic Online Safety Expectations in May this year. These changes mean that platforms are required to place the best interests of the child at the core of their services.

I know the challenges of online harms are something that everyone in this House is concerned about. That is why we are looking forward to working with all members to deliver this critical legislation age limits to access social media.

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