Australia to legislate minimum age for social media usage

Canberra [Australia]: Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of Australia, said that the country will legislate a minimum age for social media use to keep children safe.

Albanese said that it's about supporting parents and keeping kids safe. In a post on X, he said, "We'll legislate a minimum age for social media to keep children safe."

He added, "Parents tell me they're worried about what age their kids should be on social media. We'll introduce legislation in this term of Parliament to enforce a minimum age for social media and other digital platforms. It's about supporting parents and keeping kids safe."

On August 21 last year, in the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, more than half of parents ranked mental health issues as the top health concern for their children and teens.

Overall, mental health and technology use topped this year's top ten list of parent worries about health-related issues for children in the United States, surpassing childhood obesity, which parents ranked as the top children's health issue a decade ago.

"Parents still view problems directly impacting physical health, including unhealthy eating and obesity, as important children's health issues. But these have been overtaken by concerns about mental health, social media and screen time," said Mott Poll co-director and Mott paediatrician Susan Woolford, MD, MPH.

Two-thirds of parents are worried about children's increased time on devices, including overall screen time and use of social media, taking the No.1 and No.2 spots on the list of children's health concerns this year, according to the nationally representative poll.

"Children are using digital devices and social media at younger ages, and parents may struggle with how to appropriately monitor use to prevent negative impacts on safety, self-esteem, social connections and habits that may interfere with sleep and other areas of health," Woolford said.

(ANI)