If the government bans social media for under-16s, young people could be exposed to unintended dangers, mental health organisations warn.
Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have been criticized for promoting cyberbullying, body image issues and mental illness, and for profiting at the expense of young Australians.
But in a statement to a parliamentary committee on social media, mental health organisations ReachOut, Beyond Blue and the Black Dog Institute said teenagers often use social media to explore their identities, build connections and access resources for their wellbeing.
A proposal to raise the minimum age for accessing social media from 13 to 16 simplifies a complex issue and could inadvertently harm young people, said ReachOut director Jackie Hallan.
“Young people are digital natives and for many that means social media is already part of their world,” she said.
“It is clear that many changes are needed on social media platforms to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people.
“What we don’t want are solutions that lead to unintended harm.”
Research from the Black Dog Institute found that using social media to communicate with friends is associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety.
However, scrolling or passively viewing other people’s content has been linked to higher levels of mental health problems.
However, Black Dog Institute executive director Samuel Harvey said the direction of the effect was unknown.
“We don’t know whether young people who use social media to stay in touch with friends are less anxious and depressed because they have more friends, or whether young people who passively scroll through content do so because they were already feeling down or anxious,” Prof Harvey said.
The three organizations recommend funding further research and placing young people’s life experiences at the center of any policy.
In addition, it is necessary to provide teens, parents and other support networks with the skills and knowledge to create safe online environments.
However, the responsibility cannot lie solely with users, said Georgie Harman, CEO of Beyond Blue.
Social media companies should introduce features such as infinite scroll limits, screening for mental health content, and default safety settings for those under 16.
The government should also require users to be more transparent about how their algorithms work and give them more options to customize their feeds.
The Commonwealth has allocated $6.5 million to a pilot program for age security technology. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the effectiveness of any age requirement initiatives would need to be demonstrated.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Peter Dutton has announced that he will ban children under 16 from accessing social media if the coalition wins the next election.