Young people could be put at risk of unintended harms if the government bans social media for those under 16, mental health organisations warn.
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Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have come under fire for fuelling cyberbullying, body image issues and mental health concerns and profiting at the expense of young Australians.
But in a submission to a parliamentary committee on social media, mental health organisations ReachOut, Beyond Blue and the Black Dog Institute said teenagers often use social media to discover their identities, build connections and access wellbeing resources.
A proposal to raise the age of social media access from 13 to 16 simplifies a complex issue and could inadvertently hurt young people, ReachOut director Jackie Hallan said.
"Young people are digital natives and for many that means that social media is already part of their worlds," she said.
"It is clear that social media platforms need a lot of change to improve young people's mental health and wellbeing.
"What we don't want to see are solutions that lead to unintended harms."
Research from the Black Dog Institute has shown that using social media to communicate with friends was linked to lower levels of depression and anxiety.
Scrolling or passively viewing other people's content was nevertheless associated with higher levels of mental health concerns.
However, Black Dog Institute executive director Samuel Harvey said the direction of the effect was unknown.
"We don't know if young people who use social media to connect with friends are less anxious and depressed because they have more friends, or whether young people (who) passively scroll through content do so because they were already feeling down or anxious," Prof Harvey said.
The three organisations have recommended funding further research and putting the lived experience of young people at the centre of any policies.
It is also necessary to equip teenagers, parents and other support networks with skills and knowledge to create safe online environments.
But the onus cannot fall on users alone, Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman said.
Social media companies should introduce features such as limits to infinite scroll, verification for mental health content and default safety settings for those under 16.
The government should also require they increase transparency on how their algorithms work and provide more features for users to customise their feeds.
The Commonwealth has provided $6.5 million for a pilot program of age-assurance technology with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying any age requirement initiatives must be proven to work.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has vowed to ban children under 16 accessing social media should the coalition win the next election.
Australian Associated Press
