Australia’s digital safety crisis: experts, call for device-wide ban while parents call for moderation

The proposed age limit on social media has been given the partial tick of approval – but does it go far enough?

• PM hints at age for social media ban

Leading academics and parents have given partial approval to the federal government’s plan to impose an age limit on social media access.

Although the age cut-off is yet to be decided, along with the method of policing the initiative, academics said it would be one way to ensure greater levels of safety for children.

A southside father whose teen daughter was left shaken after conversations on Snapchat turned lewd, said he did not think cutting teens off social media was the solution.

The dad, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said schools should be doing more to teach kids of the dangers of using social media rather than denying kids contact with their peers.

“In our case, my child thought they were talking on Snapchat to a person of similar age when in fact that person was an adult charading as a teen,” he said.

“Social media is like a drug. Most people who have issues with drugs didn’t set out to do the wrong thing. It’s the same with social media.

“Groomers know this and they use it by piling on compliments at a time when young girls and boys are craving compliments.

“They masquerade as slightly older peers and what teen doesn’t like attention from what seems to be a charming older teen?

“After they befriended my child with kind comments and praise, the adult then asked for naked photos to be sent.

“Even though that never happened in our case, others may have fallen victim.

“Banning the use could help but I’m not so sure it will achieve what the federal government is hoping for but what alternative is there?”

The concerned father said even though he and his wife had “strict” policies of their own in place to guide their child’s social media use, kids would always find ways around it.

However, Professor Selena Bartlett from Queensland University of Technology’s Faculty of Health said proposal was a step in the right direction but the federal approach was “too narrow”.

The pharmacist and neuroscientist highlighted alarming statistics from the recent Qoria study into child digital safety and wellbeing solutions.

It found children as young as seven to 10-year-olds were opening accounts on TikTok and X where they were being targeted with graphic sex images.

Professor Selena Bartlett says the ban should be broader to include digital devices made for adults. Picture: Contributed

Professor Bartlett said she was concerned the proposed policy would only focus on social media platforms while ignoring broader issues related to digital devices.

She said France’s recent policy banned devices connected to the internet for children up to the age of 11.

“The issue is not just about social media, it’s about all internet-connected devices, including smartphones and tablets, which are increasingly accessible to very young children in Australia,” she said.

“Our country is lagging in regulation, and we’re witnessing a disturbing trend where children are being exposed to inappropriate and dangerous content at increasingly younger ages.

“Children as young as five are being subjected to content meant for adults, including pornography and violent material, due to the lack of effective safety measures on these platforms.

“Educating young children about online dangers is not a complete solution because it’s not feasible to expect five-year-olds to understand and navigate online grooming and predatory behaviour.

“Devices meant for adults should not be used by children.”

Researcher and lecturer at the University of Southern Queensland’s School of Psychology and Wellbeing Dr Riley Scott said the federal initiative was a step in the right direction.

University of Southern Queensland’s Dr Riley Scott says education is critical. Picture: USQ

Dr Scott, who has completed extensive research into adolescent and young adult development in the cyber world, said the measure was insufficient to address the complexities of online safety.

“Simply restricting access does not equip young people with the skills needed to navigate the digital world safely,” Dr Scott said.

“What we need is a robust educational framework that promotes critical thinking about online interactions and digital content.

“This includes teaching young people how to recognise and handle online risks, manage privacy settings, and engage responsibly on social media platforms.

“Parents often feel ill-equipped to guide their children through the complexities of social media. Providing resources and education for families can bridge this gap.”

The social media draft legislation will be put before the parliament before the next federal election and it is expected an age cut-off will be announced after an age-verification trial which begins its final phase this week.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles said he supported the proposed federal legislation, which he believed would give parents a “helping hand” to patrol children’s use of social media.

Mr Miles said social media companies should be held to account, especially those exploiting users for great profit.

He said his household had its own “close calls” with harassment and bullying, and said the proposal draft bill would build on work by the South Australian government and former chief justice Robert French.

“Kim and I have struggled to manage our kids’ social media use,” he told parliament.

“We have even had our own close calls with harassment and bullying, but we are lucky we have been able to talk about it with them.

“I know that some families are not so lucky.

“Parenting has always been hard and in the online age it is even harder. All parents need a helping hand to keep their children safe.”

It comes after the Premier detailed his struggle to protect his children from social media in The Sunday Mail.