Good afternoon, everyone.
I would like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional owners of the lands from which I speak with you today, the Kaurna people, and pay respects to their elders past and present.
I extend this acknowledgement to all First Nations people attending the launch today.
I would also like acknowledge Julie Inman Grant, eSafety Commissioner and the team from ReachOut, particularly Gary Grobes, Jackie Hallan, Ben Bartlett and Tracy Campbell.
Thank you for inviting me to join you today to celebrate the launch of ReachOut Australia’s brand-new Likes and Limits video series, an invaluable digital resource for parents and carers navigating the challenges of the online world.
All of us here today know that online spaces such as social media platforms have provided many opportunities for connection, creativity and self-expression.
I’m sure many of us will have firsthand experience of the power of the online environment to foster social connections, bring together like-minded people and bridge physical distances.
The fact that I am here in Adelaide joining you all virtually today is an apt example of this.
The ways we operate today in our workplaces, communities and social lives are heavily facilitated by the digital transformations we have seen within our lifetimes.
And no doubt many of us have experienced being on a video meeting talking away without realising you are actually on mute.
Online spaces and digital platforms don’t just assist us in our working lives, they also have many benefits for young people as well. Providing social connection and interaction and opportunities for learning through play.
However, we are also aware that many of the challenges which young people and their families face can be exacerbated by digital technologies available to them.
As a parent of two young boys, I often feel unequipped.
When I found out my son had got a Discord account through a friend at school, I felt overwhelmed about how to manage that.
There are already plenty of challenges that come with parenting, and we know that we can’t always be monitoring the way our young people are using these technologies.
The digital world can present a number of risks to the safety, mental health and development of our children and young people.
These risks need to be met head-on, and this begins with equipping both young people and their parents with the knowledge and tools needed to stay safe online.
For over twenty years, ReachOut has provided vital education and supports to young people and their families through online resources, moderated online communities and peer support channels.
We know that the first point of contact for young people seeking support is often their parents and carers, which can be daunting when the challenges they are facing are beyond our lived experience.
To help with this, ReachOut Parents provides parents and carers with information and guidance on topics impacting Australian youth, including issues relating to social media and online safety.
My department – the Department of Social Services – is proud to have funded ReachOut to deliver a broad range of services such as their self-help website, online forums for parents and carers to seek support from each other in a safe, moderated environment and a tele-web parents coaching service which provides one on one brief intervention support to parents and carers.
And today, there is a new addition to this suite of resources. A four-part video series called – Likes and Limits. The series helps to address four key areas of concern as identified in the findings of ReachOut’s recent What parents worry about report.
The first part of this series will be available on ReachOut Parent’s brand-new Instagram page tomorrow.
The series will explore topics such as screen time, making friends online, body image and staying safe while feeling seen. It will feature input from media personalities, influencers and experts in mental health and digital wellbeing.
This includes Pia Miranda, Peter and Billie Rowsthorn, George Ray, Dr Preeya Alexander and Nasalifya Namwinga.
It’s great to see these new supports come online and I’m sure so many parents and carers will find them informative and useful.
However, whilst parents and carers play a vital role in supporting young people online – we also acknowledge they cannot do it alone.
This world first legislation puts the onus of making the digital world safer back onto the technology companies.
As the eSafety Commissioner has said, safety by design is key to keeping children and young people safe online. That involves working across the board both through legislative responses along with technological response that can make our online environment safe for children.
This concept of safety by design seeks to make all platforms safer for all users, putting user safety and rights at the centre.
Recently the Attorney-General has legislated to ban the creation and distribution of deepfake pornography and other non-consensual generative content.
There has also been work done on the trial of age of assurance technology to examine the options to look at how we protect children from harmful online content.
Of course, there is also the recent legislation that looks at creating a social norm of children under 16 not having social media accounts. These need to work in conjunction with these resources to support parents with the information that they need.
Our Government recognises that mitigating risks associated with online spaces and social media is complex, requiring concerted action and collaboration across all levels of society.
As the Prime Minister has said, this is about Australian children getting to have a childhood and for parents to know that the Government is in their corner.
These are important steps that sends a clear message to social media companies and holds them accountable for ensuring the safety of their users.
We know these platforms can negatively impact the mental health and development of young people, and contribute to the spread of negative ideologies, anti-social behaviours, and harmful gender stereotypes.
And of course, this work sits in direct alignment with our latest phase of the successful Stop it at the Start campaign.
This campaign encourages adults to understand the harmful ideologies and online misogyny their young people can be exposed to online, because the attitudes that they are seeing perpetuated are not what we want to see in our communities. This phase of the campaign will run until May 2025.
We also know that bullying isn’t new, but it’s not something we will tolerate in our communities. Unfortunately, we often see technology being used to facilitate this abuse, also known as ‘cyber bullying’, leading it to follow young people home beyond the school gates.
As a parent myself, I share the concerns of many other parents on the rise of technology-facilitated abuse.
To protect children from tech-facilitated abuse, we have invested $3 million over 4 years to help parents, educators and frontline workers identify early warning signs of tech-facilitated abuse, develop and implement strategies to manage the effects of abuse, and assist young people in seeking support.
As we meet today to celebrate the launch of Likes and Limits, and the expansion of Reach Out Parent’s digital parenting resources, it is an important reminder of why we need to work together to improve the online safety of young people.
Whilst we are confident that the work our Government is progressing across our reforms will significantly reduce the amount of harm perpetuated by online spaces and social media platforms, we know that there is much more work to be done.
Protecting children and young people online is a top priority for the Albanese Government, but we cannot solve this issue alone. I thank those of you here today that have worked with us to see these important reforms made.
All of us here share a commitment to reducing the harm caused by digital technologies, and organisations such as ReachOut recognise the vital role of parents and carers in protecting our Nation’s children.
I congratulate ReachOut on this latest initiative, and their continued work in the digital realm to educate, spread awareness and make the internet a safer space for young Australians.
I hope these new tools will help many Australian families feel empowered to tackle digital challenges head on.
Thank you.
