Peter Malinauskas to announce school students will be taught about danger of social media

The Premier says there is no shortage of horrific stories about the effect of social media on children.

Dangers of social media and online safety strategies will be taught to students across the state as part of child safety reforms to the school curriculum.

Premier Peter Malinauskas on Friday will announce schools will deliver an evidence-based program focused on tackling issues including cyber-bullying, body image, mental health and wellbeing.

Content on coercive control, strategies for detecting deepfakes, understanding artificial intelligence and the impact of negative online influencers will be added to the curriculum for the first time.

Mr Malinauskas will outline the measure in Adelaide at a two-day social media summit, at which he on Thursday relayed stories of “unimaginable horror” and “indescribable grief” from families who have lost children because of social media harm.

The curriculum, to be delivered from 2025, has also been strengthened and updated to include cyber-bullying, privacy, sextortion and image-based abuse, plus detecting scams and fake news.

Premier Peter Malinauskas speaks at the Social Media Summit at ICC Darling Harbour Sydney. Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard

Mr Malinauskas said the change followed mobile phone bans in public schools introduced in mid-2023 and significant moves towards banning social media for children.

“We must do everything we can to protect our children … The evidence is clear, social media is causing our children harm,” he said.

“Knowledge is power, and we are taking a proactive approach to ensure our young people are well equipped for the world they are growing up in.”

The Education Department, which developed the curriculum, has worked closely with the eSafety Commissioner and Australian Federal Police-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation.

The new curriculum will be taught in public and Catholic schools, along with those belonging to the Association of Independent Schools SA.

It also will involve educating students about the risks posed by unsafe or inappropriate online behaviour and engagement, along with strategies to seek support.

Speaking in Sydney on Thursday at the summit co-hosted by NSW and SA governments, Mr Malinauskas opened by quoting from parents whose children had taken their own lives, describing the horrendous impacts of social media.

“Every one of them is a snapshot of a family that has experienced unimaginable horror, indescribable grief,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“ … And each story, it tells us the same thing. We know we simply must act.”

Premier Peter Malinauskas and NSW Premier Chris Minns at a press conference at the Social Media Summit at ICC Darling Harbour Sydney. Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard

The two-day summit will move to Adelaide on Friday, where speakers will include ASIO director Mike Burgess and internationally renowned social psychologist and best-selling author Jonathan Haidt

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to impose a minimum age for social media use in this term of government.

This followed Mr Malinauskas in September releasing draft legislation which would ban children under 14 from signing up and require tech companies to gain parental consent before allowing 14 or 15 year olds to use their platforms.

Originally published as Peter Malinauskas to announce school students will be taught about danger of social media