The Victorian Government is launching public consultation on age limits for social media, with the findings set to shape a new social media safety education program.
Premier, Jacinta Allan, today joined Minister for Education, Ben Carroll and students and teachers at Mount Waverley Secondary College to launch an online survey giving parents, teachers and young people the opportunity to share their experiences and concerns about social media use.
“Parents – and young people – always tell me they’re worried about social media, but they feel powerless against the social media tsunami,” said Premier Allan.
“That’s why we’re keeping kids off social media before they’re ready, and giving them the tools to stay safe online once they’re older.”
Findings from the consultation process will shape a new social media safety program – Safe Socials, which will be delivered in schools as a resource for students, teachers and families about how to navigate and live with social media.
“Victoria led the nation by banning mobile phones in schools because we could see the harm it was doing, and we’re now consulting on how to best protect our students from the harms of social media – and developing resources to provide teachers with high-quality, best practice materials to teach digital literacy and safety,” said Minister Carroll.
Safe Socials builds on the success of other education programs pioneered by the Labor Government, such as Safe Schools and Respectful Relationships, and the state’s Australian-first ban on mobile phones in schools.
A $3.5 million investment will support the Department of Education to develop the new digital literacy resources. The program will also include a dedicated website and fact sheets to help parents and carers understand social media safety.
The survey at engage.vic.gov.au/safesocials will be open until November 1, with groups able to participate.
The consultation process will also include a series of roundtable discussions, led by the Parliamentary Secretary for Children, Nathan Lambert, and the Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Nina Taylor – bringing together key stakeholders to capture the diverse needs of the Victorian community.
The process will also inform the Commonwealth’s laws for national age limits on social media.
