Let Them Be Kids: Sign our petition to save kids from social media scourge

Australian children are suffering at the hands of social media giants who put profits before people- but there’s a way you can help protect

Australian children are suffering at the hands of social media giants who put profits before people- but here’s how you can help.

Teenagers across the nation are in a mental health crisis, with rates of self harm, suicide and eating disorders skyrocketing, as teens increasingly report feeling lonely, being unable to sleep and struggle to develop proper social skills.

And it all comes from the explosion in social media use over the past decade, which has connected teens to their peers but also exposed them to harmful content far too young.

Seventy per cent of teens have had a negative experience on social media and one in three have been exposed to distressing or traumatic content, according to new polling from last month, but the pleas of parents who have lost their children to the scourge and experts calling for urgent reform have gone unanswered by the social media platforms.

But enough is enough. Which is why News Corp Australia’s Let Them Be Kids campaign is calling on the federal government to take action and protect our children from harmful online content by raising the age limit for social media from 13 to 16.

A petition started by News Corp Australia to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has amassed more than 4,500 signatures in three days, but more support is needed for action to be taken.

Add your voice to the campaign here.

Originally published as Let Them Be Kids: Sign our petition to save kids from social media scourge