Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Early Childhood Education) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Senator Dolega, for the question. We look forward to hearing your first speech, and I am pleased to get this as my first question as the Minister for Youth. As the Minister for Youth and the Minister for Early Childhood Education, I am acutely aware that the first 16 years of a person's life really matter, and I know that Senator Dolega shares that view. The Albanese Labor government is stepping up to help parents and their kids to be safer online, with world-leading laws. From 10 December, social media won't be an assumed part of life for Australian families, and Australians should be immensely proud that we are prioritising the online safety of our children and leading the world with these reforms.

The relationship between social media and children's mental health is one of the most important conversations of our time. Social media connects us and binds us but is also used to abuse, control and harass us. Put simply, we want our children to have another three years away from the perils of online abuse. The first 16 years of life are incredibly important for a young person's development. There is a place for social media, but there's not a place for predatory algorithms damaging the brains of our kids. Young people will have three more years to know who they are before social media assumes who they are. These years shape a young person's trajectory in so many ways, including academic, social and emotional development. They lay the foundation for future learning, health and wellbeing. We also know that positive early experiences foster healthy development while negative ones have lasting harmful effects. That's why we're delivering this important change for children and for their families.