Youth Advocates Unveil Bold Blueprint for Safer Social Media with Digital Literacy and Algorithm Control

Over 93 percent of young Australians use social media daily, with 73 percent seeking mental health support on these platforms, according to data presented by ReachOut Youth Advocates at a Joint Committee on Social Media and Australian Society. While advocates acknowledged social media’s benefits, they raised concerns about risks like cyberbullying, misinformation, and addictive algorithms. Rather than focusing solely on age verification, they urged a multi-faceted strategy for safer digital experiences. First, the youth advocates proposed integrating digital literacy into education, akin to driver training, to teach safe social media use. Second, they call for greater user control over algorithms, allowing young Australians to shape their feeds and reduce exposure to harmful content....