with Michelle Rowland MP Federal Member for Greenway

Every Australian child deserves the opportunity to grow up safe – whether at home, school, or online.

Social media has become a normal part of life. While it can connect us with family and friends, educate, and entertain, it can also cause tremendous harm. Almost two-thirds of 14-to-17-year-

old Australians have viewed extremely harmful content online, including drug abuse, suicide self-harm, and violent material.

As a parent myself, I know just how hard it can be to raise children in the digital age. I share the concerns of so many in our community about the amount of time our children are glued to their screens, and the harmful content they could be exposed to.

That’ s why, from 10 December this year, social media platforms will be required to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under the age of 16 from creating or keeping an account. This will give young people time to build real-world connections and digital literacy before joining global platforms.

The Albanese Government is committed to ensuring children have a childhood. I was proud last year, as the then Minister for Communications, to introduce legislation establishing our worldleading minimum age limits for social media.

Importantly, these age limits put the onus on social media platforms, not parents or young people, to take reasonable steps to ensure users are 16 years or older. This is about protecting children – not isolating or punishing them. Under 16s will still be able to access messaging services, online gaming, professional

networking and development services that are used for the primary purpose of education and health support.

In the lead-up to these world-first changes next month, I encourage parents to have a conversation with your children. The eSafety Commissioner has helpful guides on preparing for this change, including how to download data from existing accounts before access is lost. If a young person in your life is having difficulties dealing with the change, support services such as Kids Helpline and Headspace are also readily available.

As parents, families and a community,

we are all united in wanting our kids to grow up safe, happy and healthy. These age limits will help make this a reality and ensure that social media is not the defining feature of growing up in Australia.

RESOURCES: eSafety Commissioner: Social media age restrictions www. esafety. gov. au Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 or www. kidshelpline. com. au Headspace: 1800 650 890 or www. eheadspace. org. au