This policy briefing reflects a roundtable expert discussion that explored the outcomes of digital co-regulation on Australian children and young people. It argues self-regulation and co-regulation are inadequate in digital spaces and recommends direct government regulation as the primary approach to large digital platforms.

This open-letter, signed by over 140 Australian academics, international experts, and civil society organisations, addresses the proposal to ‘ban’ children from social media until the age of 16. They argue that a ‘ban’ is too blunt an instrument to address risks effectively and that any restrictions must be designed with care.

This report takes an in-depth look at the changing ways that young people use digital spaces for mental health information, what factors influence how they engage, and the implications for the mental health sector. The survey analysis shows that young people increasingly rely on social media for information, support and connection.

Revealing widespread community concerns about the impact of social media on children, young people, and broader society, this survey report finds that 87 per cent of respondents support implementing age restrictions for social media use, with 16 being the most suggested minimum age.

This report outlines findings from a study conducted with Australian children aged 7-9 to determine how they use and find content on streaming platforms, their levels of technical fluency with these platforms, and whether they gravitate towards, are able to find, and are culturally literate with Australian content on these platforms. It found that Australian...