Is social media killing our children? Shocking new evidence revealed | 60 Minutes Australia

Summary

The video explores the devastating impact of social media on teen mental health, particularly for young girls. It highlights the rise in anxiety, depression, and eating disorders fueled by platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. The story features parents who lost their children to suicide after being drawn into dangerous online content, as well as experts advocating for age restrictions and holding tech companies accountable. It emphasizes the need for drastic measures to protect children from the harmful effects of social media addiction and exploitation.

Takeaways

• 📉 Teen mental health has been deteriorating globally since the early 2010s, especially among girls, due to the rise of smartphones and social media.
• 📱 Social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat are being accused of contributing to mental health issues, self-harm, and even suicides in young people.
• ⚠️ Studies indicate that platforms fuel harmful behaviors, particularly for vulnerable groups like girls, who engage in chronic social comparison.
• 💔 Personal stories highlight the tragic impact of social media addiction, such as cases of anorexia and suicides caused by exposure to extreme content and challenges online.
• 💡 Experts argue that the shift from a play-based childhood to a phone-based childhood is a key factor in the surge of mental health problems in teens.
• 👩‍🔬 Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt emphasizes that social media has created an international epidemic of depression, anxiety, and self-harm among teenagers.
• 🚨 Whistleblower Frances Haugen exposed that Facebook (Meta) was aware of the harms its platforms caused, particularly to teens, but chose profit over safety.
• 📚 Legal battles are emerging, with families suing social media companies for contributing to the deaths of their children by feeding them dangerous content.
• 🔒 Some regions, like Florida, are pushing for stricter regulations, such as banning social media for children under certain ages or requiring parental consent.
• 🌍 Calls for a global shift towards healthier, outdoor-focused childhoods are growing as experts advocate for reducing screen time and returning to more traditional forms of play and socialization.

Q & A

What significant change in the early 2010s contributed to the decline in teen mental health?

The significant change was the widespread adoption of smartphones, particularly with the introduction of the iPhone 3G. This shift led to a phone-based childhood, where social media and high-speed internet became integral to daily life, especially for teens.

Why are girls more affected by social media compared to boys?

Girls are more affected by social media because they tend to spend more time on it and are more vulnerable to chronic social comparison. The curated and filtered images on social media platforms contribute to feelings of inadequacy, particularly affecting girls' self-esteem.

What did Jonathan Haidt identify as the global cause of teen mental health issues?

Jonathan Haidt identified the introduction of smartphones and the transition to a phone-based childhood as the global cause of mental health issues. This change led to increased anxiety, depression, and self-harm among teens, which began to rise sharply around 2013.

How did social media impact the mental health of Melbourne schoolgirl Katia Jasy?

Social media exacerbated Katia Jasy's anorexia by feeding her extreme dieting content through its algorithms. Her social media feeds were dominated by low-calorie recipes and 'what I eat in a day' videos, which worsened her condition and led to hospitalization.

What role did social media play in the death of 15-year-old Liv Evans?

Social media played a role in Liv Evans’ death by providing her with content that supported her anorexia and methods to end her life. Despite her father’s efforts to warn her about the dangers, she accessed harmful material that contributed to her suicide.

How did Jennifer Mitchell discover her son Ian’s dangerous engagement with social media before his death?

Jennifer Mitchell discovered that her son Ian had been engaging with high-adrenaline, dangerous online challenges, including Russian Roulette. His social media accounts, especially Snapchat, fed him a stream of increasingly extreme content that led to his tragic death.

What was the significance of the Facebook files leaked by Frances Haugen?

The Facebook files revealed that Facebook (now Meta) was aware of the harm its Instagram platform was causing, particularly to young girls. Despite internal reports identifying the harm, the company chose not to implement mitigations, prioritizing profits over the safety of children.

What legal action is being taken against social media companies for their role in teen harm?

Thousands of lawsuits have been filed against social media companies, such as Meta and Snap, for their role in teen harm, including promoting harmful content. Lawyers like Matthew Bergman represent families whose children were negatively affected, arguing that the companies are responsible for designing addictive platforms.

What new law did Florida pass to protect children from social media?

Florida passed a law that bans kids aged 14 and younger from using social media platforms. Children aged 15 and 16 need parental consent to access these platforms. The law aims to prevent social media companies from exploiting children through addictive design features like algorithms.

What does Jonathan Haidt suggest as a solution to the mental health crisis caused by social media?

Jonathan Haidt suggests that the solution to the mental health crisis is to encourage children to have an active, outdoor-based childhood, similar to those seen in past generations or in movies. Reducing screen time and promoting real-world interactions could help reduce rates of mental illness among teens.

Outlines

00:00

📉 The Downward Spiral of Teen Mental Health

The paragraph discusses the alarming decline in teen mental health, particularly among girls, due to the pervasive influence of social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. It highlights the addictive nature of these platforms, suggesting that they prioritize profits over the well-being of children. The narrative is supported by social psychologist Jonathan Height's research, which indicates a global spike in teen mental health issues correlating with the rise of smartphone usage. The script also includes a personal account from a girl named Ktia, who developed anorexia, exacerbating her condition through social media's influence.

05:01

🚫 The Dangers of Social Media Algorithms

This section delves into how social media algorithms can exacerbate mental health issues, especially among young people. It tells the story of Ktia, who, during Melbourne's lockdown, was exposed to extreme dieting content that led to her anorexia diagnosis. The narrative also includes the tragic story of Liv Evans, who, after suffering from anorexia triggered by bullying, took her own life. Her father, Rob, recounts his experience trying to counteract the unrealistic beauty standards promoted by social media. The paragraph underscores the urgent need for action against the harmful effects of social media on youth.

10:01

📚 The Facebook Whistleblower and the Fight for Transparency

The paragraph focuses on the revelations from Frances Haugen, a former Facebook data scientist, who exposed internal documents showing that the company was aware of the harmful effects of its Instagram platform on children, particularly young girls. Despite this knowledge, Facebook chose not to implement mitigating measures to protect kids, prioritizing profits over their well-being. Haugen's testimony before the US Congress and the subsequent media coverage have intensified the scrutiny on big tech companies and their social media platforms.

15:02

💔 The Tragic Consequences of Social Media Addiction

This section presents a heart-wrenching account of Jennifer Mitchell, a mother who lost her son Ian to an online challenge known as Russian Roulette, which he found on social media. The narrative explores the addictive nature of platforms like Snapchat and their role in promoting dangerous challenges for likes and views. It also discusses the legal battle against Meta and Snap, with the family's lawyer, Matthew Bergman, arguing that these companies are responsible for the harm caused to children and should be held accountable.

20:03

🚫 The Push for Social Media Bans and Regulation

The paragraph discusses the growing movement to ban or restrict social media access for children due to the significant mental health risks. It mentions Florida's new law banning social media for kids under 14 and requiring parental consent for those aged 15 and 16. The law's supporter, Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, likens social media's addictive nature to digital human trafficking. The paragraph also explores the potential for similar regulations in Australia, with Communications Minister Michelle Roland considering various options to protect children from the harms of social media.

25:04

🌳 The Call for a Return to a Healthy Childhood

The final paragraph emphasizes the need for a shift from screen-based to play-based childhoods to improve mental health outcomes for children. It features social psychologist Jonathan Height's advocacy for reducing screen time and encouraging outdoor activities to foster a healthier development. The narrative includes personal reflections from Ktia, who is recovering from anorexia, on the importance of being aware of social media's negative impacts and the need for a balanced approach to its use. The segment concludes with a call to action for social media companies to promote positive content and remove harmful content to safeguard children's well-being.

Keywords

💡Social Media

Social media refers to platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok that allow users to create, share, and interact with content. In the video, social media is portrayed as a major cause of mental health issues in teens, particularly affecting young girls by promoting harmful content and fostering unhealthy comparisons. The platforms are accused of prioritizing profits over the well-being of children.

💡Teen Mental Health

Teen mental health refers to the psychological well-being of adolescents. The video emphasizes the deterioration of mental health among teens globally, particularly from 2010 to 2015, correlating this decline with the rise of smartphones and social media. Depression, anxiety, self-harm, and even suicide have significantly increased among teens during this period.

💡Smartphones

Smartphones are mobile devices that enable access to social media and the internet. The video discusses how the mass adoption of smartphones, especially starting in the early 2010s, transformed childhood, shifting it from a play-based to a phone-based existence, contributing to the rise in teen mental health issues.

💡Comparison Culture

Comparison culture refers to the tendency of individuals, especially teens, to compare themselves to others on social media. The video highlights how social media fosters chronic social comparison, with teens, particularly girls, feeling inadequate when comparing themselves to the highly curated, filtered images of their peers, leading to anxiety, depression, and body image issues.

💡Addictive Design

Addictive design refers to features in apps and platforms designed to keep users engaged for longer periods, often using algorithms and notifications. The video criticizes social media platforms for using these designs to exploit children, comparing the tactics to 'digital human trafficking' and emphasizing the negative impact on mental health and self-esteem.

💡Algorithm

An algorithm is a set of rules used by platforms like Instagram and TikTok to determine what content is shown to users. The video discusses how these algorithms push increasingly extreme and harmful content, such as promoting dangerous diet trends or risky behaviors, especially to vulnerable teens, exacerbating issues like eating disorders and suicidal ideation.

💡Suicide

Suicide is the act of taking one's own life, often associated with severe depression or other mental health struggles. In the video, suicide is highlighted as a tragic outcome linked to social media use, with several cases of teens who were negatively influenced by online content and took their own lives. The video uses these stories to call for action against social media platforms.

💡Body Image Issues

Body image issues refer to dissatisfaction or distress related to one’s physical appearance. The video discusses how social media amplifies these issues, especially for young girls, by promoting unrealistic beauty standards through filtered and edited images. This leads to problems like eating disorders, with several tragic examples discussed in the video.

💡Facebook Files

The 'Facebook Files' refers to leaked internal documents from Facebook, which revealed that the company was aware of the harm its platforms were causing, especially to young users, but did not act. The video emphasizes this as a pivotal moment, showing the deliberate negligence of social media companies in prioritizing profits over the safety of children.

💡Regulation

Regulation refers to legal and governmental controls imposed on industries, in this case, social media platforms. The video discusses efforts in places like Florida to regulate social media usage among children, including bans for certain age groups. These regulations aim to curb the harmful effects of social media on young people, although their effectiveness is debated.

Highlights

Teen mental health saw a drastic decline starting around 2012-2013, globally, particularly for young girls.

Social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat are increasingly seen as traps that harm young people's mental health.

New evidence links social media to rising cases of anxiety, depression, self-harm, and even suicide among teens.

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt emphasizes the role of smartphones and social media in causing the global mental health crisis among teens.

The transition from a play-based childhood to a phone-based one starting in the early 2010s has contributed to the decline in childhood well-being.

Social comparison on social media, especially for girls, worsens mental health due to unrealistic beauty standards and edited images.

Ktia Jasy, a 17-year-old anorexia survivor, attributes her condition to the harmful content she found on social media platforms.

Social media algorithms exacerbate harmful behaviors by continuously feeding extreme content, as shown in Ktia’s case.

In 2019, Liv Evans tragically took her life after being influenced by harmful social media content, including extreme weight loss and self-harm.

Liv’s father Rob Evans sees social media as a platform that preys on vulnerable teens, making it harder for them to recover from mental health struggles.

A whistleblower from Facebook, Frances Haugen, exposed internal documents showing that the company knew Instagram was harming children, especially young girls.

Frances Haugen's testimony to the US Congress revealed that Facebook prioritized profit over child safety by neglecting to address known harms.

Jennifer Mitchell, who lost her son Ian to suicide after exposure to dangerous online challenges, is suing Meta and Snap for their role in his death.

Florida has passed a law that bans children under 14 from social media, and 15-16-year-olds must get parental consent to access it.

While social media bans could save lives, experts emphasize the need for more regulation to hold tech companies accountable for harmful content and addictive algorithms.

Transcripts

something happened globally that sent

Teen Mental Health spiraling downward

especially for girls terrifying and

heartbreaking everything changed in that

moment I think how did we get here the

New Evidence about social media it's a

trap that the company set for the kids

and the harm it's causing is Instagram

and Snapchat responsible for your son's

death

100% coming up next on 60 Minutes all of

my content on all of my feeds had just

been wared completely is it finally time

they unquestionably put profits before

kids to take drastic action they need to

make it adults only to save our children

if you took addiction children and harm

and monetization it sounds like

trafficking to me next

how much more evidence is needed before

the message is fully understood social

media is a serious health hazard

especially for young people it's messing

with their minds and in an increasing

number of tragic cases it's killing them

of course the tech Giants who control

the social media platforms downplay the

dangers but their views are compromised

by the enormous profits they make by

having children spend hours and hours on

their smartphones tonight calls to do

what to many is Unthinkable ban social

media for the young and a warning some

of the issues raised in this story are

confronting our kids lives have been

hijacked their young minds warped by

social

media 20110 to 2015 should be thought of

as the great rewiring of childhood we

lost the play-based childhood and we got

a phone-based childhood and that's what

is basically making our kids ill all

around the developed

[Music]

World New York based social psychologist

Jonathan height isn't holding back he

says big Tech is making our kids sick

even killing them and he's on a mission

to show the world the

proof we have an international epidemic

of depression anxiet y self harm and

suicide the F author been crunching the

data for years and what he's found is a

damning indictment what we saw was the

almost instantaneous transformation of

childhood into a form that I think is

incompatible with healthy human

development you call it the surge of

suffering you're not mincing words

you're not sugar coding it what does

your data show something happened in the

early 2010s that sent Teen Mental Health

spiraling downward so what we see in the

United States when we graph out the the

percent of American teens who suffer

from anxiety depression those who self

harm those who are hospitalized what we

see is very stable levels from the 1990s

through 2010 and then right around 2013

2012 suddenly a lot of Curves begin

going up very very sharply and we see

the same thing in the UK and the same

thing in Canada the same thing in

Australia the same thing in New Zealand

the same thing in the Scandinavian

countries and Northern Europe so

something happened globally that sent

mental health spiraling

[Music]

down professor H says what happened was

the transition from the fine to the

smartphone the new iPhone

3G the only theory on the table for why

you'd have a global change is the

massive change in their daily lives when

they adopted a phone-based childhood

based on having a smartphone the

front-facing camera social media and

high-speed

internet and he says young girls are the

most at risk they spend more time on it

and they're much more harmed by it

chronic social comparison all the other

girls look better than you they're all

using filters or carefully edited photos

so for a variety of reasons girls are

more attracted to social media and

they're more harmed by it

[Music]

that was exactly the case for melbour

school girl ktia

jasy you turn yourself into someone who

you didn't even know

existed an anorexia Survivor who says

social media exacerbated her condition

the 17-year-old and her mom Michelle can

remember the moment she signed

up when I was I think 10 years old uh

mom and I had a big argument about

whether I could go on Instagram and she

said no and I got an account anyways

because it's that easy and she got very

mad and you know we had this whole big

fight well that would have been such a

hard situation I me how do you say no to

your daughter in that situation it was

pretty stressful finding out that she'd

gone ahead and done it I mean she ended

up telling me so that was great but you

know once they're on they're on and the

rule is you're supposed to be 13 but how

easy was it to

exactly he takes 2 seconds you just put

in a different age and even if you enter

an age that's too young the first time

you can just go back and change it

anyway but it was during Melbourne's Co

lockdown in 20120 that Cartier's online

usage really ramped up there was a big

trend on all the socials to like have a

lockdown glow up so that when everybody

came out of lockdown you're like this

new person and it was portrayed that you

know you're just going to be so amazing

when you come out of this what seemed

like an innocent and healthy online

challenge to get fit soon spawned a

dangerous Obsession as algorithms pushed

more extreme dieting content to Cara's

social media

feeds I imagine the more and more you're

liking these videos the more and more

you're watching them you're just more

popping up your Instagram and Tik Tok

feeds yeah so it it ended up that you

know every other video was either a low

calorie recipe or what I eat in a day

someone's sick something like that so

all of my content on all of my feeds had

just been warped

completely months later ktia was

diagnosed with anorexia Noosa not long

after she was hospitalized m Michelle

Le's social media exploited her

vulnerable

daughter I think that it just fueled

like once she was sick that was it was

hard to get out of that uh that hole did

you think you could lose your daughter

absolutely yeah was pretty

hard yeah Hospital over and over again

and you know and the Met calls you know

cuz her heart was too too low would you

have gotten that bad if not for social

media I don't think so no because social

media is all about using each other as a

point of comparison but for this illness

in particular that point of comparison

can be

[Music]

deadly for Liv Evans at just 15 it was

deadly yeah and they also took two blood

test last year after an horrendous

battle with anorexia triggered by

schoolyard bullying leave took her own

life her dad Rob is still in

shock Liv was such a beautiful beautiful

girl when she was more physically able

she loved cheerleading like competitive

cheerleading she'd won a few

competitions with her team and she just

loved that and then like her her next

love was really around the the creative

artwork that that she had

drawing animals drawing uh nature like

as you have a look at her artwork you

can see just what it meant for

her but getting sickly thin meant even

more and social media was there to help

let's make it a little bit harder that's

it good up even as a fitness coach Rob

couldn't convince his daughter that what

she was seeing on Instagram was

unrealistic and dangerous

people that are saying uh you know I'm

I'm healthy and I live off 200 calories

a day that's no joke 200 calories a day

I said live they're lying I said you

have to understand that these people

might be saying they're healthy but I

said you cannot survive on 200 calories

a day and this is the reason

why Rob suspects lives deep dive online

took an even darker turn finding ways to

end her troubled life

when we found out some of these things

it's thought how did you find that right

and she she's just Googling all this

stuff or searching for it on social

media and finding finding a plethora of

it how many times did she

try thir

14 13

[Music]

file in April last year leave overdosed

Rob was told by doctors that his

daughter wouldn't survive she's

essentially brain

dead and that the only things keeping

her alive are the

machines so you need to make a

decision as to not if but when you want

to switch off the

machines because you will not

recover so yeah everything changed in

that that moment I think how did we get

here

s can't imagine you'll ever have to make

a more difficult decision in your life

the doctor

said she said I think Liv has made that

decision for

you did social media prey on your

daughter yeah whether it's intentional

or not I'd say yes but it provides the

perfect platform for people that are

vulnerable

to feel worse I mean it's got a it's got

a lot to to answer for um for

sure stories like lives and caras are

collated by the millions in Jonathan

Heights

evidence so social media is a trap it's

a trap that the company set for the kids

platforms are all inter aase to the

bottom of the of the grade school I

suppose you could say um they're

competing for not for customers they're

competing for

product coming up The Whistleblower who

says Facebook knew it was harming

children but did nothing they

unquestionably put profits before kids

Facebook is under Fire this morning

after hundreds of leaked documents

detail the inner workings of the world's

largest social media company social

media can be toxic for teens and the in

2021 the world got its first glimpse

into the Sinister inner workings of

social media GI Facebook book when

thousands of internal documents were

leaked making headlines across the world

the brave woman behind the bombshell was

Francis Hagen a former Facebook data

scientist I came forward because I saw

the negligence they were doing and I

knew that if I didn't speak out I would

lay in bed 20 years down the line seeing

those new chapters unfold of this

dystopian World knowing that I could

have done

something among the case of leaked

material were damning reports revealing

Facebook knew its Instagram platform was

damaging kids in particular young

girls what those documents showed was

that Facebook knew its products were

causing harm to kids that they had run

experiments trying to mitigate those

harms and chosen not to launch them so

to put it really bluntly they put

profits before kids they unquestionably

put profits before kids they refuse to

take responsibility I think Facebook

needs to declare moral

[Music]

bankruptcy shortly after blowing the

whistle France has testified before the

US

Congress the choices being made inside

of Facebook are disastrous for our

children and that is why we must demand

Facebook make changes meta says it's

taken action to find and take down

harmful content but Francis believes the

company hasn't done nearly enough enough

to change its business model since she

came forward and the leaks now known as

the Facebook files have become a water

shed moment placing big Tech firmly

under the microscope and that was a big

mistake just that seat of information

opened the door such that uh lawsuits

and the discovery process could begin

bringing out radically more information

and so that's how that little seat of

Truth has now spawned you know lawsuits

that may add up to tens of billions of

dollars of Damages for the

[Music]

company Jennifer Mitchell's case is one

of the lawsuits being waged in 2019 the

Florida mom lost her only child

Ian he was a loving boy he was very

funny um witty he

was great at academics just so bright he

was

loving and uh caring he was just he was

my

baby the 16-year-old was found dead in

his bedroom with a gunshot to his head

and his phone still recording by his

side I just knew something was very very

very

wrong and I wasn't quite sure what

everybody was telling me he killed

himself you know it was a suicide I I

still didn't know what to do with that

information I just kept trying to get

into his

phone eventually Jenifer was able to

crack into her son's social media

accounts and what she found is something

no mother should ever have to

see but it wasn't

suicide that must have been

gut-wrenching watching those videos it

was um it was awful watching those

videos I never saw the scene when my

when my son passed away I I never saw it

so after I watched those videos it was

almost as if I did see

it for years Ian had been dancing with

death addicted to high adrenaline VIs

videos which promoted a dangerous online

challenge Russian Roulette a dare he

accepted he filmed and posted three

videos to his Snapchat he didn't survive

the

fourth just how far down the rabbit hole

had and gone so we discovered that he

was being fed algorithm of like

adrenaline Danger videos video where

people were constantly putting

themselves at risk for um popularity the

likes and everything to ask you bluntly

is Instagram and Snapchat responsible

for your son's

death

100% Jennifer is now suing meta and snap

over her son's death and we're now in a

period of Discovery where we're going to

be able to have witness testify and

really kind of open up the hood and on

what is really going on uh with these

company the lawyer is Matthew Bergman

I'm ready for the challenge what did you

find digging into Ian's guys he was

doing exactly what the platforms were

designed to do they find some Niche and

they they keep giving you more and more

extreme content

[Music]

Matthew Bergman made his name fighting

for justice for asbestos cancer victims

after the Facebook files he launched a

law firms solely dedicated to fighting

for families whose kids have been harmed

by social media their stories are all

the same and they're all different uh

every one of them as a kid that had a

promising future uh became addicted to

social media uh in some cases they uh

developed Eating Disorders by being

taught to hate the way their body looks

in other cases they were taught to hate

the way they interact with other people

uh and in some cases took their lives

he's representing a staggering

2,500 clients with stories like Jif you

have a level of corporate

irresponsibility and misconduct that I

have never seen in 30 years of lawyering

that is a huge call Big accusation the

CEOs of these compan

you're saying they've got blood on their

hands and they refuse do anything about

it I do I do uh I don't know how they

sleep at night and unless and until they

have to bear the financial burden of

their deliberate design decisions their

behavior is not going to change taking

up the fighting Court's one thing

winning is something else are you having

any success in court we have had a

significant amount of success in uh

having courts allow us to at least move

forward

look as I say the the the the wind is at

our back uh but we've got a lot of

stormy seas

ahead for Jennifer Mitchell Justice

means more than just monetary

compensation she wants governments to

step up and ban kids from social

media those type of platforms with that

type of

algorithm to

be adults adults only kids shouldn't

be subjected to any of

that and she hopes a tough new law just

passed in her home state of Florida will

finally be the answer the world should

follow to stop other children suffering

the same fate as her boy an would this

ban have saved his life I believe it

would I I really believe you're going to

see a material drop in social media harm

[Music]

[Laughter]

renowned for its beach resorts Swanky

golf courses and sunny climate Florida

is also Making Waves for taking on big

Tech from next year kids in this state

who are 14 years and younger will be

banned from social media 15 and 16y olds

will need parental

consent does that go far enough no but

it's a start I honestly think it should

be like 18 and above you know let let

them become an adult let their brains

develop a little

more it's too late for Mom Jennifer

Mitchell her son Ian was 16 when he shot

himself after becoming addicted to

playing Russian roulette a deadly online

challenge he saw on social media but

she's hoping the new law will protect

other

children my entire time in public

service

this is the most important thing I'll

ever work

on Florida house Speaker Paul Rena is

The Man Behind the bald band if you

asked me just a year ago Adam a social

media bad I'd say yeah kids are on too

much but what's the big deal but just

reading about it learning about it

learning the devastating effects it's

having on our children if you took

addiction children and harm and

monetization that sounds like

trafficking to me and so this is in my

mind a form of digital human trafficking

of our children that's a huge accusation

I believe

it the law applies to platforms that use

addictive design features like

algorithms and notifications and if they

don't properly vet the age of their

users they could be fined up to $50,000

us per

violation other US states have failed in

this endeavor bans have been thrown out

by the courts they've been blocked why

won't that happen again I think we've

taken a we've Hit The Sweet Spot of

focusing on The Addictive features but

time will tell the courts will tell us I

just can't imagine that the courts would

say that using children in an addictive

fashion that causes them harm from money

has anything to do with the right of

free speech where we're seeing major

major mental health harms including the

loss of our children forever to suicide

last year Rob Evans tragically lost his

daughter Leaf after the 15-year-old

researched Online ways to end her own

life now we got to he says it's time for

Australia to also step up and ban kids

from social media

RS I would liken where we are now to

like when we made the changes to the gun

laws and I think we're at that level

with social media and somebody needs to

say you know what this is just the right

thing to do yeah it's going to have some

backlash but we need to do this it's the

right thing to do you just have to make

a

[Music]

stand the woman who decide whether

Australia has the ability or the will to

take up the fight is Communications

Minister Michelle Roland what's on the

table is it an age limit ban is it

forcing companies to tame down their

algorithms what's being considered we

are considering all the available

options we will continue to closely

examine uh what is happening in Florida

so if the age liit ban in Florida works

we'll do it if it does work and it does

have the desired effect then it's

certainly something that we'll take on

board the minister has just announced a

federal inquiry into the harms of social

media that any new laws to protect our

kids could still be years away you've

seen the evidence you know what's going

on with kids in social media why are we

then announcing inquiries why are we

conducting reviews why aren't we just

writing up new laws to keep them honest

one of the key questions here is around

enforceability around the incentives and

around actually getting the platforms to

comply um with these rules and that

includes whether the penalties are

sufficient so in short you're looking

for ways to better hurt their bottom

line make them pay so they step up and

sort it out themselves where there is

the prospect of big fines that does have

a demonstrable

[Music]

effect I think a lot of the owners needs

to be placed on those social media

companies but even After experiencing

the devastating effects of social media

firsthand Kia ji and M Michelle don't

believe a band like floridas will work

instead they want big Tech to clean up

its

act you just can't all of a sudden take

it away I don't I don't think but I

think we can do more to keep people safe

I think it's unrealistic to expect that

responsibility to be placed on the users

of these platforms you know because

people are always going to find a way as

mom says but it's more about education

and promoting positive content and

removing negative content when you're

doing it t not nearly as muchmore ktia

is now in recovery from anorexia Noosa

while social media made her suffering so

much worse she hasn't cut it off

completely it's a long long journey um

and it's something that I'm going to

have to be consciously aware of

especially during difficult times to

make sure that I'm not slipping back but

W you feel like you're winning

absolutely despite his Grim calculations

it's a fight social psychologist

Jonathan hard thinks we can all win

but he says it's not just about banning

social media the key is getting kids off

their fights and back

Outdoors because if we're going to take

our kids off of their phone based life

if we're going to take away a lot of the

screen time that sounds like deprivation

but if we say instead no you know what

you get to have a childhood like we did

you get to have a childhood like you've

seen in the movies where kids are having

fun running around having Adventures

which childhood do you want sitting

alone in your room on your game or your

you're you're you know on on fortnite or

on social media or do you want to be out

with your friends and so if we can trust

our kids and trust each

other we can let our kids have a human

childhood and the rates of mental

illness will go down he's the world

ready to make that shift the world is so

[Music]

ready if this story has raised issues

and you need to speak with someone call

lifeline on

131114 hello I'm Adam hey thanks for

watching 60 Minutes Australia subscribe

to our Channel now for brand new stories

and exclusive Clips every week and don't

miss out on our extra minute segments

and full episodes of 60 Minutes on

.com. IU and the 9 Now app